ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Review of Voting Systems

Simon Hughes: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission whether the Electoral Commission plans to consider the findings of the Review of Voting Systems, Cm 7304.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has noted the contents of the Review of Voting Systems, and that the review took account of Commission reports on past elections. The Commission considers that any proposals for further reform to voting systems are a matter for Parliament.

Local Authorities: Reorganisation

Bob Neill: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission whether the Boundary Committee takes account of  (a) the views of local residents and  (b) local identities when deciding whether to restructure local authority areas across existing shire and county boundaries.

Peter Viggers: Decisions on restructuring of English local government areas are matters for the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. The process, and the role within it of the boundary committee for England, is set out in part 1 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.

OLYMPICS

Olympic Games 2012

John Spellar: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what assessment she has made of the use of project bank accounts for 2012 Olympics construction projects.

Tessa Jowell: The Olympic Delivery Authority's 2012 construction commitments, published in July 2006 stated that all contracts would incorporate fair payment practices including project bank accounts, where practicable and cost effective.
	Further assessments have been carried out since 2006 and the decision was made that project bank accounts would not assist the delivery of 2012 Olympic construction projects.
	Project bank accounts work well where the client lets all of the contracts and is responsible for payment and administering all the contracts. 2012 Olympic construction is broken down into a number of separate projects, each of which will be managed via a main, or 'tier one' contractor, who then lets subcontracts and has their own supply chain. The ODA, as a client, will not be responsible for the direct management or payment of the subcontractors appointed by the main contractor on each project. Some of the projects also involve private sector funding which would make use of a project bank account more difficult to administer.

Olympic Games 2012: Construction

Helen Southworth: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many contracts have been let to companies in North West England for works associated with the construction of the Olympic park; what the value is of each such contract; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: As of January 2008, 17 companies registered in the north west have supplied goods and services to the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA); this includes two national companies, Network Rail and British Cycling.
	The ODA is looking into whether it can legally put information about the value of each contract into the public domain. I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as this position has been clarified.
	On 16 January, the Olympic Family launched the London 2012 Business Network in Manchester, helping businesses across the country access and compete for 2012 related contracts. Businesses in every constituency should be encouraged to sign up and get support.

Olympic Games 2012: Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many times she has sought approval from the Treasury for expenditure relating to the 2012 Olympics; and what the reason for that expenditure was in each case.

Tessa Jowell: The Olympic Delivery Authority requires approval from Treasury, the Mayor of London, and me as Minister for the Olympics, for expenditure on projects over £20 million. So far 19 projects have been approved.

Olympic Games 2012: Manpower

Bob Neill: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many staff work in the Government Olympic Executive; and what plans she has for the Executive's future staffing levels.

Tessa Jowell: There are currently 63 members of staff employed in the Government Olympic Executive (GOE).
	The current planning assumption for GOE staffing levels, is to reach 88 members of staff by April 2011.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Licensing: Alcoholic Drinks

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many licensees in Northern Ireland were  (a) prosecuted and  (b) convicted of selling alcohol to underage drinkers in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: Table 1 gives the number of prosecutions and convictions for offences which, by their definition, refer to the licensee selling alcohol to a minor.
	As it is not possible from the databases to determine the status of those selling alcohol to a minor for all offences, Table 2 outlines the number of prosecutions and convictions for 'selling intoxicating liquor to a minor' and 'permitting minor to consume alcohol on licensed premises'.
	Data cover the calendar years 2002-06 (the latest available years) and are collated on the principal offence rule; so only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
	I have been consulting on new provisions on test purchasing of alcohol as part of the draft Criminal Justice Order, which would help to improve the detection and prosecution of these offences. I shall be considering the responses received.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of licensees prosecuted and convicted for selling alcohol to a minor 2002-06( 1) 
			   Licensee selling intoxicating liquor to a minor  Licensee selling liquor to person for consumption by minor in licensed premises  Licensee selling liquor to person for consumption by minor off licensed premises 
			   Prosecuted  Convicted  Prosecuted  Convicted  Prosecuted  Convicted 
			 2002 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			 2003 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2004 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2005 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2006 1 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of prosecutions and convictions for the offences of 'selling intoxicating liquor to a minor' and  ' permitting minor to consume alcohol on licensed premises' 2002-06( 1) 
			   Selling intoxicating liquor to a minor  Permitting minor to consume alcohol on licensed premises 
			   Prosecutions  Convictions  Prosecutions  Convictions 
			 2002 3 1 0 0 
			 2003 5 3 0 0 
			 2004 7 2 0 0 
			 2005 8 3 5 0 
			 2006 5 3 0 0 
			 (1) Data for 2006 are provisional.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Women Members

Graham Allen: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality, what progress has been made in increasing the number of women in the House of Commons.

Barbara Follett: The Government are committed to working to bring about a more representative democracy. Women currently make up 20 per cent. of MPs compared to nine per cent. in 1997. Much of this change has been brought about by making it lawful to have women-only shortlists for selection.

Government Equalities Office

Mark Harper: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality, what the budget of the Government Equalities Office will be in each of the next two financial years.

Barbara Follett: For GEO's future budget please refer to the Supplementary Budgetary Information tables to be published alongside the main estimates in April.

Equality Strategy

Mark Harper: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities 
	(1)  when she expects to publish the equality strategy;
	(2)  when she expects to publish the responses her Department received to its consultation on proposals for an Equality Bill;
	(3)  what progress the Government Equalities Office has made on the production of a long-term strategy to tackle persistent inequalities; and if she will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: The Government equality strategy will be published in due course.
	The Government are intending to publish a response to the consultation on the Equality Bill shortly and has given a manifesto commitment to introduce a new Equality Act during the lifetime of this Parliament and remains committed to doing this.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Members Estimate Committee

David Taylor: To ask the Leader of the House what recent considerations the Members Estimate Committee has given to the pay scales of hon. Members' staff and their uprating.

Helen Goodman: The pay ranges applicable to Members' staff cover the seven generic job descriptions provided to Members as the basis for employing staff using the staffing allowance. These ranges have been uplifted each year since their introduction in 2001 by the increase in the average earnings index.
	The Members Estimate Committee has not recently considered the pay ranges, although the evidence set out in the recent Senior Salaries Review Body report (Cm 7270) suggests that they are broadly fit for purpose and allow Members to recruit and retain staff in a competitive employment market.
	The Members Estimate Committee was asked by the House on 24 January to implement the SSRB's recommendations for changes to the staffing allowance. The Committee will be considering this in its forthcoming meetings.

Topical Debates

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Leader of the House what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of topical debates.

Helen Goodman: I refer the hon. Member to the response my right hon. Friend gave earlier today,  Official Report, c. 1116.

Legislative Timetabling

Peter Lilley: To ask the Leader of the House what assessment she has made of the effect of timetabling of debates on constitutional issues on the scrutiny of such matters.

Helen Goodman: No such assessment has been carried out.

WALES

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the special advisers employed in his Department and its predecessor since 6 May 1997; and what the  (a) start and  (b) end date of employment was in each case.

Paul Murphy: Since 2003, the Government have published on an annual basis the names and numbers of special advisers in each pay band. For the most recent information I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister on 22 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 147-150WS. Changes since will be recorded in the Prime Minister's next annual statement.
	Information on the employment of special advisers prior to 2003 was provided at regular intervals and is available in the Library of the House.

Official Engagements

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many engagements he and his predecessor undertook in each month since January 2007.

Paul Murphy: Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and advice. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meetings.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Theft

Anne McIntosh: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners if he will estimate the value of losses resulting from theft from parish churches in each of the last three years.

Stuart Bell: Based on insurance claims received by the main church insurer, I estimate losses amounting to £1.5 million in 2005, £2.4 million in 2006 and £8.7 million in 2007. The hon. Lady will be interested to note that around two-thirds of these claims related to the theft of lead from church roofs.

Investment Policy: Africa

Hugh Bayley: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what discussions the Church Commissioners have had on their investment policy towards Africa.

Stuart Bell: The Commissioners regularly consider potentially suitable investment opportunities in the region but they currently have no direct investments in Africa.

Parsonage Houses

Richard Benyon: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners if he will make a statement on the transfer of the ownership of parsonage houses to diocesan boards of finance.

Stuart Bell: As I said in my answer to the hon. Member for Salisbury (Robert Key), this proposal, recognising that housing is an important element in the terms of service of office holders, seeks the provision of appropriate accommodation and the establishment of a suitable framework governing the relationship between housing providers and office holders.
	By way of a statement, I am aware that this particular provision is the most contentious part of the draft legislation. General Synod will consider it in some detail next week.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMISSION

Comptroller and Auditor General

David Taylor: To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission what assessment the Public Accounts Commission has made of the arrangements for declaring and publishing the details of corporate hospitality received by the Comptroller and Auditor General; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Williams: The Commission established in July 2007 a system of six-monthly reports on hospitality given or received by the Comptroller and Auditor General, and the information is also to be placed on the NAO's website at six-monthly intervals, at the middle and end of the financial year. The information so far published covers the period to the end of September 2007. In addition, the chairman of the NAO's Audit Committee, who is briefed in advance on planned expenses of the C and AG, has direct access to the Commission if there are issues he wishes to discuss. The Commission believes these arrangements will ensure transparency regarding the hospitality given or received by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Archaeology

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will conduct a feasibility study into the effect of likely changes to staffing levels within the Portable Antiquities Scheme in 2008-09 on its  (a) finds recording and  (b) educational outreach activities; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) is funded by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and administered on their behalf by the British Museum. Any study regarding the scheme is therefore a matter for the MLA and the British Museum. The MLA recognises that the PAS is of national importance and intends to conduct a review of the scheme in partnership with other stakeholders to ensure it can continue to thrive and evolve in the future.

Archaeology

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the likely effect on the number of posts in the Portable Antiquities Scheme if funding for 2008-09 is maintained at current levels.

Margaret Hodge: I have made no assessment of the likely effect on staffing levels at the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) if funding is maintained at current levels. The PAS is funded by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and administered on their behalf by the British Museum. Any assessment regarding the scheme is therefore a matter for the MLA and the British Museum. The MLA recognises that the PAS is of national importance and intends to conduct a review of the scheme in partnership with other stakeholders to ensure it can continue to thrive and evolve in the future.

Casinos: Licensing

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many casinos were open and operating under licences granted through the Gaming Act 1968, in each year since 1996-97.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The list shows the number of casinos open and operating, under licences granted through the Gaming Act 1968, in Great Britain as at 31 March for each year since 1996-97 and at the latest available date.
	
		
			  To 31 March  Number of casinos operating 
			 1997 116 
			 1998 116 
			 1999 116 
			 2000 118 
			 2001 118 
			 2002 122 
			 2003 126 
			 2004 131 
			 2005 138 
			 2006 140 
			 2007 138 
			 29 January 2008 144

Christmas

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department's agencies spent on  (a) Christmas cards and  (b) postage of Christmas cards in each year since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: The information has been provided by The Royal Parks. Information for years prior to 1999 is archived and available only at disproportionate costs. The available figures for cards are as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 1999-2000 511.13 
			 2000-01 7.90 
			 2001-02 151.81 
			 2002-03 1,167.96 
			 2003-04 3,483.87 
			 2004-05 3,400.21 
			 2005-06 2,469.00 
			 2006-07 1,527.00 
			 2007-08 2,150.00 
		
	
	The Royal Parks does not have a specific Christmas card postage code within its chart of accounts and is unable to provide accurate postage costs.
	In 2007-08 The Royal Parks issued an e-card as an alternative to a traditional printed card and therefore there were no postage costs for 2007-08.

Gambling

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government has taken to reduce levels of gambling addiction since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Gambling Act 2005 places the protection of children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling as one of the principle objectives of gambling regulation for the first time.
	The Act also establishes a powerful new regulator, the Gambling Commission, responsible for ensuring UK gambling operators are meeting the Government's licensing objectives. All gambling operators must comply with tough social responsibility measures, including procedures to prevent underage gambling and a commitment to contribute to research, education and treatment of problem gambling, or risk losing their licence.
	The British Gambling Prevalence Survey 2007 showed that the overall level of problem gambling remained unchanged since 1999 at 0.6 per cent. of the adult population. However, if there is evidence of increased problem gambling, or the objectives of the Act are not being met, the Government have wide-ranging powers to introduce further regulations and restrictions.

Horse Racing: Betting Levy

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many written representations on the horserace betting levy he has received from hon. and right hon. Members in the last 12 months.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department's records show that we received 28 written representations from hon. and right hon. Members that relate specifically to the 47th Levy Determination. We have received other written representations that relate more broadly to the work of the Horserace Betting Levy Board.

Northcott Theatre

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions  (a) he,  (b) his Department and  (c) his predecessor have had with the Minister for the South West on funding for the Northcott Theatre in Exeter. [Official Report, 28 February 2008, Vol. 472, c. 20MC.] [Official Report, 4 March 2008, Vol. 472, c. 23MC.]

Margaret Hodge: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no discussions on this matter with the Minister for the South West.
	The Department has received two letters from the Minister for the South West my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Bradshaw) in his capacity as a constituency Member about the Northcott Theatre and there has been one telephone conversation between the Minister for the South West and a senior official at the Department.
	My right hon. Friend the Member for Stalybridge and Hyde (James Purnell) and the Minister for the South West briefly discussed the matter in December.
	It has been explained in all discussions that the Arts Council operates at arm's length from the Government and decisions about which arts organisations to fund are entirely for them.

Olympic Games 2012

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects to bring forward proposals to develop the legacy for mass participation in sport which is expected to result from the London 2012 Olympics.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 4 February 2008
	The Government have set a clear target of getting two million more people more active by 2012.
	The Legacy Action Plan will set out the Government's high level strategy for delivering this ambition through sport and physical activity.
	Sport England are developing a new strategy for a world-class community sports infrastructure and will produce a detailed business plan in late spring.
	Sport England's work will feed into the wider cross-Government review of sport and physical activity led by the Treasury, which will be published in the spring.
	This will clarify the roles and responsibilities of all the key organisations to meet the Government's two million target.

Performing Arts: Music

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government plans to take to support those performing live music.

Margaret Hodge: Following the Live Music Forum's recommendations, we have asked Feargal Sharkey, the ex-Chair of the forum, to work with local authorities, the music industry and other partners over the next two years to establish a number of pilot music rehearsal/performance spaces across the country. We have committed £500,000 to help kick start this initiative. At the same time we will work with the Mayor to see what can be done to ensure key music venues in London are not closed down, and helping the National Union of Students to re-establish a live music network. We are also exploring the scope for allowing live music performances which are unlikely to have an impact on the licensing objectives to be exempt from licensing requirements.

Public Libraries

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what records his Department and its agencies holds of the size of the book stock of municipal libraries.

Margaret Hodge: Public libraries are a locally managed and delivered service, but at a national level my Department continues to advocate for the valuable role they play in every community. Public library statistics 2006-07, published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) on 14 January 2008, reports that England's public libraries held 81,215,800 books in stock at 31 March 2007. Copies of the report for previous years are held in the House Library.

Secondary Education: Sports

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1906W, on secondary education: sports, what sports and activities are covered by the terms  (a) high quality PE and school sports and  (b) inter-school competition.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	The annual PE and School Sport Survey is accompanied by guidance to support the completion of the questionnaire. The definition of high quality PE and out of hours school sport is:
	"this produces young people with the skills, understanding, desire and commitment to continue to improve and achieve in a range of PE, sport and health-enhancing physical activities, in line with their abilities, as set out in the 'High Quality PE and Sport for Young People' guide."
	The definition of inter-school competition is:
	"a sporting event or fixture where pupils from two or more schools compete against each other. Pupils are usually selected by their school to compete as individuals or as part of a team. Common examples include matches in sports such as basketball, hockey and cricket; district athletics championships; cross country championships; area swimming/aquatic galas; and 5-a-side football tournaments."
	A copy of the guide 'High Quality PE and Sport for Young People' has been placed in the House Libraries.

Sports: Learning Disability

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will take steps to improve opportunities for adults and children with a learning disability to  (a) participate in sport and  (b) develop their skills to enable them to achieve their sporting potential.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Sport England is currently developing a new strategy to focus on how it can build a world class community sports infrastructure through excellent clubs, coaches and volunteers for all. The new strategy will consider how participation of under-represented groups, including those with disabilities can be increased.
	By developing an excellent community sports infrastructure Sport England will be better able to sustain and increase participation in all age groups and across a wide range of sports, and allow everyone to develop their sporting talents and fulfil their potential.
	DCMS and DCSF are investing an additional £100 million into PE and school sport over the next three years to offer children aged 5-16 five hours of PE and sport each week; and three hours to young people aged 16-19. Part of this will fund the establishment of a network of multi-skills clubs for children with disabilities across all of the School Sport Partnerships.

Water Sports: Finance

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent on the sport of canoeing in the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Funding allocated to the sport of canoeing through Sport England and UK Sport in the last five years totalled £17,822,013 and is detailed in the table:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Sport England  UK Sport 
			 Exchequer 3,580,666 2,491,414 
			 Lottery 5,881,818 5,868,115

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Bedfordshire

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding her Department allocated to  (a) Luton,  (b) Caddington parish,  (c) Slip End parish and  (d) East Hyde parish in each year since 1997; and what the purpose of the funding was in each case.

John Healey: The following table sets out the funding made available by the Department to Luton borough council since 2002-03.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  Total 
			 Supporting People Programme 0.187 4.873 4.814 4.555 4.492 4.646 23.567 
			 ERDF 0.036 6.987 4.084 2.888 3.096 5.840 22.931 
			 Planning Delivery Grant — 0.203 0.337 0.214 0.566 0.437 1.757 
			 Homelessness programme 0.096 0.096 0.080 0.100 0.120 0.120 0.612 
			 Disabled Facilities Grant 0.324 0.680 0.450 0.444 0.586 0.454 2.938 
			 Gypsy Site Grant — — — — 0.008 — 0.008 
			 Choice-based lettings — — — — 0.100 — 0.100 
			 Growth Areas Programme(1) — — — — — — 26.924 
			 LA Supported Capital Expenditure for Housing — — 1.967 2.197 — 1.756 5.920 
			 Regional Housing Pots — — — — 0.340 0.342 0.682 
			 Revenue Support Grants(2) 91.000 108.519 120.774 120.876 11.670 10.833 463.672 
			 National Non Domestic Rate payments 56.327 56.000 51.721 61.705 60.457 64.550 350.760 
			 Local Area Agreements — — — — 0.000 0.161 0.161 
			 Neighbourhood Renewal Fund programme 1.100 1.500 1.500 1.510 — — 5.610 
			 Total 149.070 178.858 185.727 194.489 81.435 89.139 905.642 
			 (1) Total allocation for the Growth Area Programme since 2003-04 is £26.924 million. This cannot be easily split by year. The allocation is for pump-priming housing projects for local areas. (2) From 2006-07 Revenue Support Grants were reduced due to the transfer of funding to the Department for Children, Schools and Families for Dedicated School Grant. 
		
	
	The majority of the funding in each year comprises Revenue Support Grant and National Non Domestic Rates payments which accounted for £814 million in total (90 per cent.). Since 1989, business rates collected by local authorities have been pooled nationally and redistributed by the Department to individual local authorities. Non Domestic Rates and Revenue Support Grant provide the main source of revenue funding for local authorities, neither is hypothecated (designated) for a particular service—they support all core services.
	For the parishes of Caddington, Slip End and East Hyde, no direct payments by this Department have been identified since 2002-03.
	Information on funding prior to 2002-03 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Coastal Erosion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how much she  (a) has given in the last three financial years and  (b) plans to give in the next three financial years to local authorities in (i) Essex and (ii) England to restore cliff slippages that threaten  (A) rail and  (B) road links; what recent representations she has received on this issue; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  under what legislation she has power to fund local authorities to restore cliff slippages that threaten  (a) rail and  (b) road links; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  what recent  (a) meetings she has had with and  (b) representations she has received from Southend borough council on cliff slippages that threaten (i) rail and (ii) road links; what the  (A) location and  (B) duration was of each meeting; whether a record of each meeting was kept; who attended each meeting; and if she will make a statement;
	(4)  what research has been  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated by her Department on cliff slippages that threaten (i) rail and (ii) road links; and if she will make a statement;
	(5)  what discussions she  (a) has had in the last 12 months and  (b) plans to have in the next 12 months with other Departments to discuss cliff slippage in Southend; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for Transport provided £1 million funding to Southend borough council in January 2008 for highway repairs to prevent damage occurring to rail and road links from a cliff slippage. The Department of Transport met with officials from the authority and their consultant prior to the submission of a business case by the authority seeking this funding. No record was made of the meeting which took place in Southend.
	The funding for this highway maintenance scheme will be provided under Section 31 of Local Government Act 2003.
	The Department has not conducted any specific research on cliff slippages that threaten rail and road links. The Highway Agency have supported research on chalk cliff stability and are aware of current research on this subject being conducted by Brighton University through the INTERREG 'Inform' project. This knowledge is being used to assist trunk road maintenance plans and the development of road schemes.
	Southend borough council has raised cliff stabilisation issues in the borough with the Department for Communities and Local Government in the context of the Thames Gateway programme and in respect of the regeneration plans for the area. Government resilience policy for events which result from incidents of instability are a matter for the Department for Communities and Local Government.
	We have not had any other discussions on cliff slippages in Southend with other Departments in the last 12 months and none are planned in the next 12 months.

Council Housing: Eligibility

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what changes there have been to the eligibility requirements for local authority social housing since May 1997.

Iain Wright: Eligibility requirements for social housing allocated by local authorities were first introduced in the Housing Act 1996 and amended by the Homelessness Act 2002. These provide that:
	Local authorities may treat an applicant as ineligible for an allocation of social housing if satisfied that the applicant, or a member of his/her household, has been guilty of unacceptable behaviour serious enough to make him/her unsuitable to be a tenant of the authority.
	Persons subject to immigration control are not eligible for social housing unless they come within a class of persons prescribed in regulations by the Secretary of State.
	The Secretary of State may make regulations to prescribe other classes of persons from abroad as ineligible for an allocation.
	To coincide with accession to the European Union of the 10 Accession States in May 2004, the eligibility rules in respect of persons from abroad not subject to immigration control (European Economic Area (EEA) nationals(1)) were tightened up by regulations(2).
	Consolidating regulations made in 2006(3) made further changes to the eligibility of EEA nationals. These changes principally reflect the implementation of EU Directive 2004/38/EC by the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006. In particular, as a result of these changes EEA nationals are not eligible for an allocation of housing or homelessness assistance if their only right to reside:
	is an initial right to reside for up to three months from arrival; or
	is for the period during which a jobseeker has a genuine prospect of finding employment.
	These regulations were further amended in 2006(4) to take account of the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the EU in January 2007 and introduce additional eligibility restrictions for nationals of Bulgaria and Romania.
	(1) Under special agreements, EU Treaty rights are extended to nationals of the three countries within the European Economic Area which are not members of the EU (Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein), and to Switzerland.
	(2) The Allocation of Housing and Homelessness (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2004 (SI 2004/1235).
	(3) The Allocation of Housing and Homelessness (Eligibility) (England) Regulations (SI 2006/1294).
	(4) The Allocation of Housing and Homelessness (Eligibility) (England) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/3340).

Departmental Telephone Services

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many non-geographic telephone numbers are in use by her Department and its agencies; and what revenue their use generated in each year for which figures are available.

Parmjit Dhanda: Communities and Local Government and its agencies has one non-geographical telephone number to provide information to homeowners in relation to Energy Performance Certificates (0845 365 2468). A third party manages this service on behalf of the Department. The Department does not derive any revenue from this service.

Empty Property: Expenditure

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent on empty houses by market renewal programmes in 2007.

Iain Wright: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Empty Property: Prisoners

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether empty dwellings management orders can be made in respect of properties the owner of which is serving a custodial sentence; and what guidance her Department has given to local authorities on the issue.

Iain Wright: The circumstances in which a property is excluded from the power to make an Empty Dwelling Management Order are set out in the relevant legislation, namely sections 132-134 and Schedule 6 of the Housing Act 2004.
	There is no specific exception contained within the legislation relating to circumstances where the owner of a dwelling is serving a prison sentence. The matter would therefore be at the discretion of the local authority which would have regard to all the other relevant exceptions that might be applicable.

Energy: Consumption

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate her Department has made of the average consumption of  (a) mains gas and  (b) electricity from the national grid by an average sized home built to (i) minimum building regulation standards, (ii) Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, (iii) Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes and (iv) Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes in the most recent year for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The standards for the energy performance of homes in the Code for Sustainable Homes are specified in terms of emissions. The relevant emissions rates are expressed as improvements against the standards set in the Building Regulations Approved Document L (2006) and measured using the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP).
	In 2005, the latest year for which figures are available, carbon dioxide emissions from the household sector were 148.5 million tonnes. The target emission rate for an average home meeting the standards in Part L of the Building Regulations 2006 is 0.553 tonnes of carbon per annum. For an average home (broadly defined as a semi-detached house with a gas-fired central heating boiler and a floor area of 88.8 metres squared) this equates to approximately 8300 kWh of gas and 983 kWh of electricity.
	To meet Code level 3, a house will have to be designed and built to achieve a 25 per cent. improvement on this rate. To meet Code Level 4, a house will have to be designed and built to achieve a 44 per cent. improvement on the 2006 Part L target emission rate.

Green Belt

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans her Government have to review Green Belt protection.

Iain Wright: The Government's policies for the protection of Green Belt are set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 2. There are no plans to review those policies.

Home Information Packs

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to set a date for the implementation of home information packs on one and two bedroom properties; whether energy performance certificates (EPCs) will be required for  (a) commercial and  (b) one and two bedroom domestic properties; when EPCs will be introduced; whether home condition reports will be mandatory; whether training grants will be available to inspectors to assist with ongoing training costs; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: holding answer 12 November 2007
	Home information packs were extended to the remainder of the market on 14 December 2007.
	EPCs are being introduced for the sale, rent or construction of non-domestic buildings over 10,000 m(2) from April 2008; over 2,500 m(2) from July 2008; and for the remainder from October 2008. EPCs for the marketed sales of dwellings have been introduced as part of the Home Information Pack; they will be introduced on construction of new dwellings from April 2008 and on new rentals of dwellings from October 2008.
	We have always said that the Home Condition Report is a valuable element of the pack. We are adopting a market-led rather than mandatory roll-out of HCRs. The HCR is one of a number of options being considered with stakeholders as part of our work on the wider reform of home buying and selling.
	Training for energy assessors is provided by the market, and it is for assessors to choose the package which best suits their plans.

Home Information Packs

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the House of Lords Merits of Statutory Instruments Committee's Fifth Report of 11 December 2007 on the Home Information Pack (Amendment) Regulations 2007 and the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2007 and the submissions in Appendix I, for what reason her Department has not published the research and data by MORI into home information packs.

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 21 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 1526-527W.
	Ipsos-MORI is still in the process of finalising its conclusions and a copy of the research report will be placed in the House Library once the project has been finalised.

Home Information Packs: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been spent on home information packs from the public purse to date, broken down by main budget heading; and what is the budget for the remainder of financial year 2007-08.

Caroline Flint: An update was given to the hon. Member on 22 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1801W. Since then, HIPs expenditure has been as follows:
	
		
			   HIP programme spend  () 
			 Administration costs 292,773 
			 Legal fees  
			 Outside expertise 27,430 
			 Website costs  
			 Area trials  
			 Research 32,229 
			 Communications, publicity and publishing 344,523 
			 Agency staff 24,520 
			 Other costs 39,387 
			   
			 Total 760,863

Home Information Packs: Pilot Schemes

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what interim information her Department has received from Ipsos-MORI on the home information pack trials.

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 21 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 1526-527W.
	Ipsos-MORI is still in the process of finalising its conclusions and a copy of the research report will be placed in the House Library once the project has been finalised.

Housing Market: Expenditure

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the market renewal programme has spent in total on each unit constructed for the period for which figures have most recently been collected.

Iain Wright: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Housing Market: Regional Planning and Development

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance she plans to issue to stakeholders on the account to be taken of market renewal programmes in developing regional spatial strategies; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: Housing Market Renewal Partnerships, like all initiatives which have a spatial expression, inform the drafting and revision of regional spatial strategies (RSSs). PPS11 'Regional Spatial Planning' is the Government guidance which sets out how RSSs are produced. The existence of a Housing Market Renewal Partnership in a region will inform the evidence base which in turn informs the drafting and revision of an RSS. This can then be tested at the Examination in Public of selected matters arising from representations on the draft RSS.

Housing: Low Incomes

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether local planning authorities are  (a) expected and  (b) obliged to levy affordable housing contributions on all applications that are classified as a sui generis use in the context of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes Order) 1987.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 6 February 2008
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 January 2008,  Official Report, column 120W.

Housing: Standards

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2007,  Official Report, column 142W, on housing: standards, what regional house building targets were set out for each Government office region per year since 1997-98 in each Regional Planning Guidance document that was in force prior to the publication of the Sustainable Communities Plan in 2003.

Iain Wright: Regional planning guidance documents were in force until September 2004, after which they were translated into regional spatial strategies. These are currently being reviewed. The indicative additional housing units set out in RPGs over their life-time was as follows:
	
		
			  RPG  Publication date  RPG life-time  Total additional units 
			  1. North East
			 North East had two RPGs in 1997-98:
			 RPG 1(Tyne and Wear) April 1989 1989-2001 30,100 
			 RPG7(Northumberland, Durham and Cleveland) September 1993 1991-2006 50,500 
			 Final version of the North East's RSS:
			 RPG 1(North East) November 2002 2002-2016 85,250 
			 
			  2. North West
			 RPG 13 (North West) April 1996 1996-2011 160,500 
			 Final version of the North West's RSS:
			 RPG13 (North West) March 2003 2003-2016 166,270 
			 
			  3. Yorkshire and Humber
			 RPG12 (Yorkshire/Humber) March 1996 1991-2006 249,000 
			 Final version of the Yorkshire and Humber's RSS
			 RPG 12 (Yorkshire/Humber): October 2001 2001-2016 221,475 
			 
			  4. East Midlands
			 RPG 8 (East Midlands) March 1994 1991-2011 169,000 
			 Final version of the East Midland's RSS:
			 RPG 8(East Midlands) January 2002 2002-2021 260,300 
			 
			  5. West Midlands
			 RPG 11(West Midlands) April 1998 1991-2021 335,000 
			 Final version of West Midland's RSS:
			 RPG 11 (West Midlands) June 2004 2004-2021 257,660 
			 
			  6. East of England
			 RPG 6 (East of England, excluding Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Essex) March 1994 1991-2006 145,005 
			 Final version of the East of England's RSS:
			 RPG 6 (East of England, excluding Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Essex) November 2000 2000-2016 158,400 
			 
			  7. South East
			 RPG 9(1)(South East, including London, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Essex) March 1994 1991-2006 855,000 
			 Final version of the South East's RSS:
			 RPG9 (South East, including Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Essex) March 2001 2001-2016 585,000 
			 
			  8. South West
			 RPG10 (South West) July 1994 1991-2011 438,000 
			 Final version of the South West's RSS:
			 RPG10 (South West) September 2001 2001-2016 303,000 
			 (1) In 1997-98 RPG9 covered the Greater South East which included as well as the existing South East, Greater London and the counties of Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Essex.

Local Government: Elections

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many citizens were registered to vote in local elections in England at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 7 February 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question concerning how many citizens were registered to vote in local elections in England at the most recent date for which figures are available (182560).
	38,223,259 people were registered to vote in local elections in England on 1 December 2006. This includes the number of attainers, and is the most recent data available.
	Electoral counts for 1 December 2007 will be published on 28 February 2008.

Planning Permission: Halifax

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of planning permissions in Halifax constituency that went to appeal were overturned in the last five years.

Iain Wright: The Planning Inspectorate's data base is not able to identify a population of planning appeals determined within a constituency boundary. Therefore, the following table gives information on the number planning appeals (following applications for planning permission) where the decision of Calderdale metropolitan borough council was overturned i.e. the appeal was allowed, for the years 2003 to 2007, which includes the Halifax area.
	
		
			   Number of planning appeals determined  Percentage of planning appeals  a llowed 
			 2003 35 23 
			 2004 38 24 
			 2005 50 16 
			 2006 58 28 
			 2007 91 22

Planning Permission: Renewable Energy

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will bring forward proposals to place a duty on planning authorities to take into account community involvement when making decisions on planning permission for renewable energy schemes.

Iain Wright: Planning Policy Statement 1: Delivering Sustainable Development requires local planning authorities to produce a Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) setting out how communities will be engaged in the planning process including how they will be consulted on planning applications. An SCI needs to cover the legal requirements for consultation and publicity set out in the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995.
	We have no plans to introduce an additional duty as described in the question.

Planning Permission: Renewable Energy

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of renewable energy projects dealt with by local planning authorities  (a) were turned down and  (b) had decisions pending in the last year for which figures are available; and what percentage of each category had been considered by (i) national park authorities and (ii) (A) Labour, (B) Conservative, (C) Liberal Democrat and (D) independently led councils.

Iain Wright: In the calendar year 2007, 34 planning applications for renewable energy projects were determined by local planning authorities in England. Of these, 35 per cent. were refused planning permission. As of 31 December 2007, there were 80 submitted and undetermined planning applications with local planning authorities in England. In 2007 there were no submitted planning applications for renewable energy projects awaiting determination or determined by national park authorities in England. The data disaggregated by controlling political party are as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Labour  Conservative  Liberal Democrat  Independent  No Overall Control  Total 
			 Percentage of all planning . applications for renewable energy projects refused planning permission by local planning authorities in England in 2007 0 58 (7) 0 0 42 (5) 100 (12) 
			 Percentage of all submitted and undetermined planning applications for renewable energy projects with local planning authorities in England as of 31/12/07 15 (12) 44 (35) 5 (4) 1(1) 35 (28) 100 (80) 
			  Notes:  1 Data source is the Renewable Energy Statistics Database (www.restats.org.uk).  2 Renewable energy projects are projects of over 0.01MW.  3 Percentages are rounded. 4 Figures in brackets are numbers of planning applications.

Quarrying: Planning Permission

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many appeals against planning decisions to allow gravel extraction have been made in the last 10 years; and how many of those appeals have been allowed.

Iain Wright: The following table gives information on the number of planning appeals concerning sand and gravel extraction determined by the Planning Inspectorate for the period since 2000. The Inspectorate's data base can only interrogate for data from the year 2000 and cannot identify appeals relating solely for gravel extraction.
	
		
			   Total number of appeals  Number of appeals allowed 
			 2000 5 3 
			 2001 4 3 
			 2002 4 3 
			 2003 8 3 
			 2004 1 0 
			 2005 0 0 
			 2006 2 2 
			 2007 6 5

Religious Buildings

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many representations she has received on permissions  (a) granted to and  (b) withheld from mosques by local authorities to broadcast by loudspeaker the call to prayer; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The Secretary of State has not received any representations on permissions granted to or withheld from mosques by local authorities to broadcast by loudspeaker the call to prayer.

Representing the Future

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when her Department will publish its response to the report of the Councillors Commission on representing the future; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: The Government will respond to the Councillors Commission report in the spring.

RLW: Cambridgeshire

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations her Department has received from representatives of RLW in relation to the proposed development in Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire; and what meetings her Department's representatives have had with that company.

Caroline Flint: Royal London Waterbeach Ltd. (RLW) has written to Ministers and officials on a number of occasions since 2003 about its development proposals at Waterbeach in Cambridgeshire. Officials met with representatives of RLW in 2004 to discuss the future process for the East of England Plan, but not the merits of the proposed development.
	As one of a number of housing initiatives under way the Government are considering eco-towns, and as part of this have sought expressions of interest from developers and local authorities. To reveal the details of recent meetings and representations from developers when this process is underway would have the potential to be detrimental to the process, and those that have put forward eco-towns proposals.

Shropshire

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the value was of each grant provided by her Department, its associated agencies and non-departmental public bodies to  (a) Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council,  (b) Shropshire County Council and  (c) Telford and the Wrekin Borough Council in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08; and what grants have been planned for 2008-09.

John Healey: The following tables set out the value of each grant paid by this Department to  (a) Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council,  (b) Shropshire county council and  (c) Telford and the Wrekin borough council since 2006 and planned payments in 2008-09 for those programmes where known or announced under the Local Government Settlement.
	 All figures in tables in pounds million.
	
		
			  Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council 
			   2006-07  2007-8  Planned for 2008-09  Total 
			 Defect Loans Charges 0.025 0.006  0.031 
			 New Growth Points 0.000 0.200  0.200 
			 Growth Fund   1.974 1.974 
			 Disabled Facilities Grant 0.265 0.278  0.543 
			 Gypsy Site Grant 0.008 0.000  0.008 
			 Homelessness 0.035 0.030 0.030 0.095 
			 Local Government Capacity Building 0.048 0.070  0.118 
			 Planning Delivery Grant 0.173 0.286  0.459 
			 Regional Housing Pot Grant 0.000 0.255  0.255 
			 Revenue Support Grant 1.151 1.022 0.884 3.057 
			 National Non Domestic Rates 5.911 6.088 6.347 18.346 
			 Total 7.616 8.235 9.235 25.086 
		
	
	
		
			  Shropshire county council 
			   2006-07  2007-08  Planned for 2008-09  Total 
			 Bellwin  0.874  0.874 
			 Defect Loans Charges 3.029 0.440  3.469 
			 European Regional Development Fund 3.185 0.964  4.149 
			 Local Area Agreements 7.222 9.340  16.562 
			 Local Authority Business Growth Incentives 0.443 0.105  0.548 
			 Local Government Capacity Building 0.096 0.119  0.215 
			 National Non Domestic Rates 44.705 47.235 55.705 147.645 
			 Private Finance Initiative Special Grant 1.459 1.871  3.330 
			 Planning Delivery Grant 0.105 0.076  0.181 
			 Revenue Support Grant 8.689 7.927 7.755 24.371 
			 Supporting People 6.501 6.576 6.564 19.641 
			 Total 75.434 75.527 70.024 220.985 
		
	
	
		
			  Telford and the Wrekin borough council 
			   2007-07  2007-08  Planned for 2008-09  Total 
			 Defect Loans Charges 2.199 0.493  2.692 
			 Disabled Facilities Grant 0.470 0.494  0.964 
			 New Growth Points 0.000 0.205  0.205 
			 European Regional Development Fund 3.147 4.180  7.327 
			 Gypsy Site Grant 0.008 0.000  0.008 
			 Homelessness 0.055 0.100 0.055 0.210 
			 Local Area Agreements 7.088 8.693  15.781 
			 Local Authority Business Growth Incentives 0.970 0.801  1.771 
			 Local Government Capacity Building 0.096 0.085  0.181 
			 National Non Domestic Rates 45.183 48.405 56.219 149.807 
			 Private Finance Initiative Special Grant 4.640 4.394  9.034 
			 Planning Delivery Grant 0.319 0.289 0.055 0.663 
			 Regional Housing Pots 2.021 2.776  4.797 
			 Revenue Support Grant 9.059 8.123 7.826 25.008 
			 Safer and Stronger Communities Fund 0.296   0.296 
			 Supporting People 3.971 4.039 4.033 12.043 
			 Total 79.522 83.077 68.188 230.787 
		
	
	For the Department's associated agencies and non-departmental public bodies, the information is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Sustainable Development

John Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make it her policy to give equal recognition in planning policy to the renewable wood sector and wood processing sector and the renewable electricity industry generally; and if she will require local authorities to have regard to strategic energy needs in determining planning policy.

Iain Wright: We published in December 2007 a new planning policy statement (PPS) on climate change. This expects regional planning bodies and all local planning authorities to plan for, and support, renewable and low-carbon energy. The PPS will help the development of renewable energy by, for example, expecting regional targets for renewable energy generation to fully reflect opportunities in the region. Planning authorities are advised that they should not require applicants to demonstrate either the overall need for renewable energy, nor question the energy justification for why a proposal for renewable energy must be sited in a particular location. Explanations of the terms used in the PPS are set out in its glossary. This makes it clear that renewable and low-carbon energy supplies include those from biomass and energy crops.

Thames Gateway: Domestic Visits

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) receptions,  (b) dinners and  (c) conferences and seminars that included receptions or meals, have been attended by the Chief Executive of Thames Gateway, in her official capacity; since her appointment.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 14 November 2007
	 Judith Armitt started as Thames Gateway Chief Executive in November 2006. It was an important part of her work to develop a relationship with stakeholders across the Thames Gateway.
	In terms of receptions/dinners/conferences and seminars, on average Judith Armitt attended just under two such events per month in her time as Chief Executive. From November 2006 to November 2007 she attended the following receptions/dinners or conferences and seminars:
	 2006
	20 NovemberUK Major Ports Group reception
	22 NovemberThames Gateway Forum
	30 NovemberBexley annual business dinner
	4 DecemberBBC South East sport awards (reception)
	 2007
	11 JanuaryLondon Government Dinner
	30 JanuaryMP's dinner
	13 MarchCrest Nicholson and UKTI dinners at MIPIM conference
	20 MarchBell Pottinger Dinner
	28 MarchSustainable Communities awards ceremony and dinner
	26 AprilNational Express Board of Directors Dinner
	2 MaySpeaker at EP Women's Development Programme
	7 JuneIdeA awards dinner for sustainable communities
	18 JuneChemistry Club Private Dinner
	10 JulyThames Gateway Parliamentary Group Reception
	17 JulyNatural England dinner
	4 SeptemberLondon First Summer Party
	6 SeptemberDavid Morley architects reception
	10 OctoberTGSEP BoardAnnual Dinner
	30 OctoberEP Annual Dinner
	31 OctoberTrafalgar Dinner Chatham
	6 NovemberOpening of St. Pancras
	Joe Montgomery, as Director General, Regions and Communities, now has direct responsibility for the Thames Gateway Executive and coordinates the work of Government Departments and agencies in the Gateway. Meeting stakeholders is an important part of this role, and it is normal to attend receptions, dinners and conferences from time to time in order to do so. All hospitality is undertaken in accordance with the civil service management code.

Thames Gateway: Public Appointments

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what process will be used to select the  (a) interim chief executive and  (b) permanent chief executive of the Thames Gateway Delivery Unit.

Caroline Flint: On 10 January 2008, Yvette Cooper informed the House that a range of housing and regeneration delivery functions currently undertaken by the Thames Gateway Executive (TGE) will transfer to the new Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). Subject to the passage of the Housing and Regeneration Bill, the HCA will take on these functions when it comes into operation in April 2009. From that date onwards, Sir Bob Kerslake, the first chief executive officer of the HCA, will assume responsibility for delivery in the Thames Gateway.
	On 29 November 2007, the Prime Minister launched the Thames Gateway Delivery Plan which set out a programme of over 9 billion cross-Government investment in the Thames Gateway. Joe Montgomery, director-general for regions and communities in the Department for Communities and Local Government, assumed direct responsibility for the TGE in December 2007. Until the HCA comes into operation, Mr. Montgomery will be responsible for driving forward the commitments made in the Delivery Plan and will work closely with the emerging HCA team to ensure a smooth transition to the new agency. Under these arrangements, it is not intended that the TGE should be led by a chief executive.

Thames Gateway: Public Appointments

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how she plans to fill the post of Chief Executive of the Thames Gateway; what the time scale is for filling the post; what interim arrangement will be made until the post is filled; whether she expects any consequential reorganisation to be necessary in her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 17 December 2007
	On 10 January 2008, Yvette Cooper informed the House that a range of housing and regeneration delivery functions currently undertaken by the Thames Gateway Executive (TGE) will transfer to the new Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). Subject to the passage of the Housing and Regeneration Bill, the HCA will take on these functions when it comes into operation in April 2009. From that date onwards, Sir Bob Kerslake, the first chief executive officer of the HCA, will assume responsibility for delivery in the Thames Gateway.
	On 29 November 2007, the Prime Minister launched the Thames Gateway Delivery Plan which set out a programme of over 9 billion cross-Government investment in the Thames Gateway. Joe Montgomery, director-general for regions and communities in the Department for Communities and Local Government, assumed direct responsibility for the TGE in December 2007. Mr. Montgomery retains his seat on the Department's board. Until the HCA comes into operation, Mr. Montgomery will be responsible for driving forward the commitments made in the Delivery Plan and will work closely with the emerging HCA team to ensure a smooth transition to the new agency. Under these arrangements, it is not intended that TGE should be led by a chief executive.

Thames Gateway: Public Appointments

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the reasons for the resignation of the Chief Executive of the Thames Gateway.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 17 December 2007
	All civil servants are employed under terms and conditions set out in the Civil Service Management Code. Responsibility for personnel matters within the Department is delegated to the permanent secretary.

Urban Areas: Sustainable Development

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who the sponsors are of the housing growth and eco-towns regional seminars arranged by her Department and the Town and Country Planning Association; whether any of the sponsors are potential developers of eco-towns; and what guidelines she has issued over potential conflicts of interest between her Department and the Town and Country Planning Association and potential eco-town developers.

Caroline Flint: The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) is arranging a series of regional seminars on eco-towns and the promotion of good practice in planning for sustainability in these and similar schemes with support from my Department and I understand a number of other public and private organisations. These events are open to all and are concerned with general principles and good practice, not individual site based proposals.
	To manage potential conflicts of interest the TCPA has ensured a broad range of partners are engaged in the seminar series from the public and the private sectors and a protocol of roles and responsibilities between TCPA and Communities and Local Government has been drawn up and is publicly available on the TCPA website.
	The TCPA's role on eco-towns is to advise on the practical application of the key sustainability and development criteria for schemes and they are not involved in the process of assessing bids and selecting schemes.

Wetlands: Conservation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance has been issued to local planning authorities on the protection of wetland sites of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention on wetlands.

Iain Wright: ODPM Circular 06/2005 Biodiversity and Geological Conservation-Statutory obligations and their impact within the planning system sets out administrative guidance on the application of legislation relating to planning and nature conservation in England. This includes the specific requirements set by European Directives and the procedures to be followed by local planning authorities. As a matter of policy the Government have chosen to apply many of these same procedures in respect of sites designated under the Ramsar Convention, thereby assisting the UK Government in fully meeting their obligations in respect of this Convention.
	National planning policy on nature conservation is contained in Planning Policy Statement 9 Planning for Biodiversity and Geological Conservation (ODPM 2005) and is supported by a separate guide to good practice published in 2006.

Written Questions

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she will reply to question 162608, on the Chief Executive of Thames Gateway tabled by the hon. Member for Thurrock on 6 November 2007.

Caroline Flint: I have now replied to my hon. Friend's question.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many single farm payment cheques were issued by the Rural Payments Agency for less than  (a) 60,  (b) 40,  (c) 20,  (d) 10 and  (e) 1 in each year since 2001.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 30 January 2008
	 The single payment scheme (SPS) was introduced in 2005 and RPA started making SPS payments in 2006.
	
		
			  Number of payments 
			  Band  SPS 2005  SPS 2006 
			 40.01-60.00 4,356 2,417 
			 20.01-40.00 4,920 1,861 
			 10.01-20.00 1,812 546 
			 1.01-10.00 639 80 
			 0.01-1.00 58 2 
		
	
	SPS 2007 payments are still being made and so we cannot provide equivalent figures at this stage.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was paid to  (a) farmers and  (b) landowners on Common Agricultural Policy support payments in (i) Nottinghamshire and (ii) the East Midlands in the last year for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 4 February 2008
	Detailed analysis of the amount of Single Payment Scheme payments paid to farmers and landowners in Nottinghamshire and East Midlands in the last year is not available. Once the remaining scheme payments have been completed, a decision will be taken on the level of detail that will be published.

Avian Influenza

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the discrepancies between levels of avian influenza recorded in the British Isles and those recorded in mainland Europe; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 1 February 2008
	 Sporadic outbreaks of avian influenza are ongoing across Europe, and disease has been found in both domestic and wild birds in locations across the continent.
	Surveillance for avian influenza viruses in wild birds is part of a coordinated European initiative and has been carried out in all European member states since 2005. It provides an early warning of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 viruses in the UK in wild birds and an assessment of the risk of introduction into domestic poultry.
	Geographical and biological variations between member states can account for differences in the potential for H5N1 infection and the detection of outbreaks. There are also different ways that outbreaks in wild birds are reported to the OIE by certain member states in comparison with outbreaks in poultry. In wild birds, each separate incident, even if only a single case, may be recorded as a separate outbreak while domestic poultry outbreaks are recorded by separate premises which may include hundreds or thousands of birds.
	DEFRA monitors outbreaks of high impact diseases, including avian influenza, worldwide and assesses risks to the UK. These assessments are available on the DEFRA website.

Avian Influenza: Testing

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) wild and  (b) farm birds were tested for the H5N1 virus in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 17 January 2008
	Surveillance for avian influenza viruses in domestic poultry and wild birds is part of a European initiative and is carried out in all European Union member states.
	The objective of the wild bird survey is to provide an early warning if highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 viruses are introduced into the UK. The domestic poultry survey is to detect the incidence of infection with avian influenza virus subtypes H5 and H7 in different species of poultry.
	Since 2003 (when the Domestic Poultry Survey started) we have tested the following numbers of domestic poultry:
	
		
			   Total 
			 2003 5,990 
			 2004 8,666 
			 2005 6,700 
			 2006 9,080 
			 2007 6,600 
		
	
	These numbers fluctuate from year to year depending on a range of factors, for example the viability of premises tested.
	In addition we tested a further 3,413 poultry in 2006 and 11,165 poultry in 2007 following avian influenza outbreaks.
	We did not routinely test wild birds for avian influenza until the emergence of the disease in wild birds in Europe in 2005. Since then we have tested live birds, birds found dead and those shot through wildfowling activities. The numbers we have tested since 2005 are as follows:
	
		
			   Live trapped  Shot  Found dead  Total 
			 2005 2,209 330 207 2,746 
			 2006 2,904 659 9,375 12,938 
			 2007 3,742 590 1,934 7,594 
		
	
	We have targeted the surveillance programme to areas where there is a greater abundance of both domestic poultry and those wild bird species that experts believe to have a greater potential role in the spread of avian influenza viruses. This is to make the programme as effective as possible. We have also increased the level of live bird testing. Over 2,000 patrols have been undertaken since the start of this migration period in September/October 2007 at over 200 sites. No reductions have been made to active patrolling or testing and in some areas patrolling has been increased due to national and international avian influenza incidents.

Beef: Imports

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's policy is on the import of beef and beef products from Brazil; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The UK's primary objective is to ensure that imports coming into the UK do not pose a disease risk. We are, therefore, supportive of the action the Commission is taking in relation to beef exports from Brazil. The current action is not an outright ban. It does however, require Brazil to meet additional requirements which will mean that only a limited number of premises can export.
	This follows an inspection mission carried out by the European Commission's Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) back in November 2007. Deficiencies were found and in view of these findings the Commission proposed an amendment to the rules for export of beef to the EU from Brazil.

Bluetongue Disease

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to improve surveillance against bluetongue disease.

Jonathan R Shaw: We have taken advice from the National Emergency Epidemiology Group and are actively discussing the detail of our bluetongue surveillance strategy with other experts and stakeholders.
	Surveillance must be targeted effectively and we are making good use of data from existing infected premises, tracings, report cases and pre-movement testing. Further targeted surveillance may be considered if necessary.

Carbon Emissions: Standards

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the expected reduction in carbon emissions resulting from the 2008 to 2011 Carbon Emissions Reduction Target is; how this figure has been calculated; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) is one of the most cost-effective approaches to carbon abatement. We expect the CERT target of 154 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (MtCO2) lifetime to deliver savings of around 4.2 MtCO2 a year by 2010. This is equivalent to the emissions from 733,600 homes.
	DEFRA has calculated the savings as follows:
	For each measure approved by Ofgem for the scheme, DEFRA has commissioned the Building Research Establishment to calculate carbon savings for an average-sized home. Since carbon savings depend on the heating system of the house, different heating systems have been taken into account (gas, electric, oil etc).
	After 18 months of consultation with major stakeholders, DEFRA has made its assessment of how the relevant industries could expand over the CERT period. Using this information, we estimated how many of each of the major measures could be installed over this period. The target set is challenging but achievable. Meeting it will require a near doubling of the current rate of insulation and a large increase in low energy lighting.

Cetaceans: Fishing Catches

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what the total number was of cetacean bycatches of each type and species in UK waters, broken down by International Council for the Exploration of the Sea area in 2006-07; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the bycatch of harbour porpoises by UK licensed fishing vessels in the  (a) Celtic Sea and  (b) North Sea was in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what the cetacean bycatch of each type and species was in UK waters in 2006-07, broken down by the country of origin of the vessel responsible; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The 2007 UK report to the Commission on observed cetacean by-catch levels in certain fisheries, as required by Council Regulation (EC) 812/2004, includes estimates of common dolphin and harbour porpoise by-catch in the south-west for 2005 and 2006 in gillnet, tangle net and bass midwater pair trawls. There are no annual estimates of by-catch available for these fisheries in this region since 1997. The UK is not due to report to the European Commission on 2006-07 observed by-catch levels until June.
	It is for each member state to monitor by-catch on their own vessels and submit their findings to the European Commission.
	
		
			  Estimated total dolphin by-catch 2005-06 
			   SW Waters (ICES Div VII e ,  f ,  g ,  h) (95  per cent.  confidence limits) 
			  Metie r /Area  2005  2006 
			 Gillnets 83 (29-166) 113 (39-225) 
			 Tangle nets 138 (55-232) 431 (172-722) 
			 Bass Pair Trawl 155 (147-165) 40 (38-43) 
		
	
	
		
			  Estimated total porpoise bycatch 2005-06 
			   SW Waters (ICES Div V II  e, f, g, h) (95 per cent. confidence limits) 
			  Metier/Area  2005  2006 
			 Gillnets 389 (225-581) 529 (306-789) 
			 Tangle nets 64 (25-105) 199 (69-328) 
		
	
	In ICES areas VI a and IV no by-catches have been observed despite intensive sampling in pelagic trawls.
	In ICES areas IV a, b, c (North Sea) by-catch rates measured in the late 1990s are used to estimate current likely levels of overall by-catch based on current levels of fishing effort in tangle and gillnet fisheries.
	
		
			  Estimates of porpoise by - catch in North Sea Static Gear 1998-2005 
			   North Sea IV  a ,  b ,  c  Lower 95 per cent.  Upper 95 per cent. 
			 1998 609 477 1,017 
			 1999 588 492 926 
			 2000 531 463 774 
			 2001 484 403 718 
			 2002 439 371 640 
			 2003 391 315 602 
			 2004 438 363 648 
			 2005 386 293 619 
			 2006 n/a n/a n/a 
			 n/a = not available 
		
	
	Estimates of by-catch in ICES area VI a based on 1997-98 observations have only been done up to 2002.
	
		
			  Estimates of porpoise bycatch in Div VI a Static Gear 1998-2002 
			   West Coast VI a  Lower 95 per cent.  Upper 95 per cent. 
			 1998 101 74 165 
			 1999 45 25 68 
			 2000 64 42 102 
			 2001 43 32 73 
			 2002 48 25 68 
		
	
	I take the problem of cetacean by-catch very seriously. DEFRA puts significant resources into by-catch monitoring and research into by-catch mitigation measures and cetacean strandings. However, the nature of fisheries means that a solution to cetacean by-catch can only be achieved on a European scale and I will continue to work towards this.

Climate Change

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking in concert with the UK's partners in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to ensure that the international road map on climate change will  (a) complement economic development in the poorest nations and  (b) provide protection for those countries expected to be most affected by climate change.

Phil Woolas: The Bali Action Plan, agreed at the United Nations Climate Change conference in Bali in 2007, commits developed and developing countries over the next two years to negotiate a global climate deal by 2009. Mitigation action by developing countries should be in the context of sustainable development. Discussions under the Bali Action Plan will cover improving access to financial resources and investment to support mitigation and adaptation including adequate, predictable and sustainable financial resources; the provision of new and additional resources; and official and concessional funding for developing countries.
	It is widely acknowledged that the current level of financial support to help developing countries adapt to climate change is inadequate, although estimates vary widely. The Bali Action Plan will discuss financial and technical support for adaptation in developing counties, particularly the most vulnerable ones.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of Freedom of Information requests received by his Department have given rise to responses that have been published by his Department.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department has adopted a selective disclosure log. Where information is disclosed to an individual in response to a request under the FOI Act, Departments and NDPBs have been advised to consider whether the information disclosed is of general interest and include released information in a disclosure log as part of the publication scheme. A disclosure log is a web-based list of FOI requests together with links to the documents released in response to them and including descriptions of the information.
	The figures since 2005 are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Quarter  Requests answered partially or fully  In disclosure log  Percentage 
			 Q1-2005 203 14 7 
			 Q2-2005 107 11 10 
			 Q3-2005 72 7 10 
			 Q4-2005 80 5 6 
			 
			 Q1-2006 85 13 15 
			 Q2-2006 57 5 9 
			 Q3-2006 90 8 9 
			 Q4-2006 70 10 14 
			 
			 Q1-2007 75 8 11 
			 Q2-2007 44 3 7 
			 Q3-2007 37 0 0

Departmental Marketing

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1390W, on departmental marketing, whether the plastic bags purchased by his Department are biodegradable.

Jonathan R Shaw: Plastic bags are used across the DEFRA estate to remove all manner of waste. Clear plastic bags are used for security purposes. DEFRA is working currently with its supply chain to trial recycled bags for the same purpose and durability.
	Currently, bags and contents are collected and processed for recycling or entry to the waste to energy route. Plastics are hand picked from the waste content.
	DEFRA's marketing department has not produced plastic carrier bags for a number of years. We do produce biodegradable bags, and sturdy reusable fabric bags, for example for our Act on CO2 campaign.

Departmental Marketing

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2008,  Official Report, column 2123W, on departmental marketing, what the size is of each of the six displays located in the main buildings of his Department.

Jonathan R Shaw: We have vacated one of our London offices so now only have five displays located in our main buildings. The ministerial displays are designed to be of an appropriate size for their location and enable us to display other information about the work of the Department. The sizes of the ministerial displays are:
	1. 500x1095mm
	2. 500 x 995mm
	3. 500 x 1275mm
	4. 300 x 700mm
	5. 600 x 1200mm

Departmental Recycling

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much and what proportion of its waste his Department recycled in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) can confirm that his Department recycled the following amounts of waste in each of the last four years.
	
		
			   2005-06  2004-05  2003-04  2002-03 
			   Waste (Tonnes)  Percentage of total waste  Waste (Tonnes)  Percentage of total waste  Waste (Tonnes)  Percentage of total waste  Waste (Tonnes)  Percentage of total waste 
			 White Paper 215.8 4.2 153.7 3.6 216.0 4.6 153.4 7.0 
			 All paper 753.7 14.6 515.1 12.0 529.7 11.3 594.2 27.0 
			 Cardboard 220.4 4.3 120.2 2.8 121.4 2.6 107.6 4.9 
			 Cans 44.3 0.9 12.8 0.3 11.0 0.2 3.5 0.2 
			 Glass 4.7 0.1 11.6 0.3 11.0 0.2 19.7 0.9 
			 Fluorescent Tubes 2.4 0.0 3.6 0.1 1.9 0.0 3.7 0.2 
			 Toner Cartridges 10.4 0.2 6.8 0.2 9.6 0.2 13.0 0.6 
			 Electronic Equipment (not IT) 1.1 0.0 0.7 0.0 
			 IT Equipment   3.5 0.1 299.9 6.4 94.7 4.3 
			 Plastic 9.6 0.2 7.9 0.2 8.6 0.2 4.7 0.2 
			 Furniture 27.3 0.5 13.9 0.3 
			 Batteries 3.8 0.1 1.3 0.0 0.6 0.0 0.7 0.0 
			 Other 50.3 1.0 28.5 0.7 2.3 0.0 19.8 0.9 
			 Organic Waste (compost) 37.6 0.7 0.4 0.0 
			 Re-Used 6.4 0.1 0.0 0.0 
			 Incinerated (for energy use) 1,040.8 20.2 1,262.2 29.5 1,348.2 28.8   
			 Total Recovered Waste 2,429 47.1 2,210 51.6 2,560 54.7 1,021 46.4 
			 Total Office Waste 5,155  4,283  4,668  2,228

Disease Control: Bovine Tuberculosis

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department's policy is on eradicating bovine tuberculosis in  (a) cattle and  (b) wildlife.

Jonathan R Shaw: Our ultimate aim continues to be the eradication of bovine TB. However, due to the current level of the disease, our first priority is to focus on using the approaches outlined in the Government strategic framework for the sustainable control of bovine tuberculosis in Great Britain to control the disease and prevent further spread. Once we have the disease under control, the next stage is to consider eradication.

Disease Control: Bovine Tuberculosis

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the change in the number of cattle which will be slaughtered as reactors to bovine tuberculosis tests using gamma interferon compared with numbers arising from skin tests alone; and what estimate he has made of the costs of compensation arising from any such change.

Jonathan R Shaw: In the 12 months following the introduction of the current gamma interferon (gIFN) testing policy (23 October 2006 to 31 October 2007), 2,327 reactors were identified in Great Britain from a total of 31,047 cattle receiving this blood test (7.5 gIFN test reactors per 100 cattle tested). In the same period, some 24,500 cattle were identified as reactors to a total of approximately 5.3 million skin tests. However, the proportions of animals reacting to each type of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) test are not directly comparable, as the two tests are used for different reasons and applied to cattle populations of different bTB risk and prevalence.
	The proportion of cattle reacting to the gIFN test is in line with that observed with this test, in GB, prior to the rollout of the current policy. The observed rise in the total number of gIFN test reactors slaughtered has been substantial, but not unexpected, given the significant increase in numbers of animals receiving this test compared to previous years. This is a not unexpected consequence of a bTB testing policy that is intended to improve and speed up the detection and removal of infected cattle in infected (or at-risk) herds, by supplementing the primary skin test with the more sensitive ancillary blood test.
	Cattle removed as reactors to the gIFN test attract the same level of compensation as skin test reactors.

Disease Control: Bovine Tuberculosis

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of expenditure on measures to counter bovine tuberculosis in the period of the 2008-11 Comprehensive Spending Review, broken down by activity.

Jonathan R Shaw: GB expenditure on bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in 2007-08 was 79.8 million(1). However, we are unable to provide an accurate forecast of expenditure on bTB in the period of the 2008-11 comprehensive spending review as budgets have not yet been finalised.
	(1) Includes expenditure on cattle testing, compensation, research, the Randomised Badger Culling Trial, surveillance activity by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency and HQ overheads.

Disease Control: Bovine Tuberculosis

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cattle have been slaughtered as tuberculosis reactors  (a) solely as a result of the gamma interferon test,  (b) solely as a result of the tuberculin skin test and  (c) as a result of a tuberculin skin test and the gamma interferon test in each of the last 24 months; and how many of these in each case tested negative for bovine tuberculosis at post mortem examination.

Jonathan R Shaw: The table presents the number of cattle slaughtered as reactors to the tuberculin skin test or gamma interferon (gIFN) test since use of the gIFN test was rolled out in certain herds in late October 2006.
	It is not possible to produce an accurate figure for reactors to both tests because cattle are only officially recorded as reactors to either the skin or gIFN test, not both. Cattle reacting to both the skin and gIFN test are recorded on Animal Health IT systems as skin test reactors alone, this being the primary test for tuberculosis that, for example, determines the relevant date for ascertainment of the compensation payable to the owner.
	The difference in the number of reactors to each test should not be viewed as a reflection of any discrepancies between results to the two tests. Rather, this is due to the fact that the two tests are used for different purposes and only a relatively small proportion of all the cattle undergoing skin testing will have also received the ancillary gIFN test.
	The table also includes the number of skin test reactors in which evidence of TB was also found after post-mortem examination and culture. Failure to detect lesions of tuberculosis by post-mortem examination at the slaughterhouse, or to culture  Mycobacterium bovis in the laboratory, does not imply that a test reactor was not infected with bovine TB. Indeed, in the early stages of this disease it is not always possible to observe lesions during abattoir post-mortem examination, and, due to the fastidious nature of this organism, it is very difficult to isolate it from tissue samples without visible lesions. Meaningful confirmation rates for gamma interferon reactors cannot be provided, as a significant proportion of gIFN positive animals are not subject to laboratory culture, as infection has already been identified in the herd. On average, post-mortem evidence of TB is typically found in 35 to 45 per cent. of skin test reactors and 15 to 20 per cent. of gIFN test reactors.
	
		
			   Number of cattle slaughtered as reactors to: 
			Tuberculin skin test 
			  Month  gIFN test( 1)  Total( 2)  With post-mortem of cultural evidence of infection( 3) 
			 October/November 2006(4) 127 2,683 1 ,089 
			 December 2006 74 1,610 626 
			 January 2007 198 2,494 898 
			 February 2007 157 1,971 666 
			 March 2007 135 2,145 737 
			 April 2007 39 2,064 743 
			 May 2007 121 1,611 577 
			 June 2007 96 1,441 426 
			 July 2007 355 1,791 654 
			 August 2007 121 1,192 400 
			 September 2007 53 1,507 572 
			 October 2007 100 2,614 1,021 
			 November 2007 372 2,582 1,174 
			 (1) Includes animals tested under gIFN parallel testing conditions which were not classified as tuberculin skin test reactorsthis excludes rapid IR x2 gIFN tests as reactors under this scenario will not be slaughtered solely as a result of the gIFN test result. (2) Tuberculin skin test reactors. (3) Tuberculin skin test reactors where TB was confirmed at post-mortem testing slaughterhouse examination and/or laboratory culture testing. (4) Includes data for 23 October30 November 2006. 
		
	
	All figures are provisional, and subject to change as more data becomes available.

Disease Control: Bovine Tuberculosis

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the reliability of the  (a) gamma interferon test and  (b) tuberculin skin test for detecting bovine tuberculosis.

Jonathan R Shaw: Evidence, from research and use in the field, shows that the tuberculin skin test and the gamma interferon test are effective at disclosing infected animals.
	However, no diagnostic test for bovine tuberculosis (TB) is 100 per cent. accurate, as defined by the tests' diagnostic sensitivity (the probability of correctly identifying infected cattle as test positives) and specificity (the probability of correctly classifying non-infected cattle as test negative).
	The comparative skin test, which we are required to use as the primary TB screening test by EU legislation, has a specificity of 99.9 per cent. and a sensitivity of 77 to 95 per cent. (approx 80 per cent.). The gamma interferon test, which is also approved under EU legislation for use as an ancillary test alongside the skin test, has a specificity of 96 to 97 per cent. and a sensitivity of 71 to 94 per cent. (approx. 88.3 per cent.). These performance characteristics are based on a review of a range of published papers from around the world and by assessing test performance under GB conditions.
	Importantly, the TB skin and gamma interferon tests identify different sub-sets of TB-infected cattle. So, when the two tests are used together in herds with confirmed TB infection in such a way that animals positive to either test are declared reactors and removed from the herd, they can considerably increase the overall sensitivity of the TB testing regime.

Disease Control: Bovine Tuberculosis

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the efficacy of polymerase chain technology for testing  (a) live and  (b) dead cattle for bovine TB either alone or as a supporting test to the skin test.

Jonathan R Shaw: We recognise that Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) has potential for speeding up the process of identifying the presence of  Mycobacterium bovis in animal tissues and the environment. DEFRA has been funding work using the PCR technique to develop tests for  M. bovis since 1999.
	A method for the detection of  M. bovis by PCR direct from bovine tissues (from dead animals) in the laboratory is currently being evaluated. PCR is not as sensitive as culture, but can provide a more rapid confirmation of the disease in animals revealing suspicious lesions at slaughter.
	Work on using PCR for detection of  M. bovis in clinical samples from live animals has shown it is not suitable for this use. The gamma interferon blood test is used as a supporting test for the diagnosis of TB in cattle.

Energy: Computer Hardware

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate the market transformation programme has made of the energy demands of computer data centres in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) future years; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The Government's market transformation programme's (MTP) work to estimate the energy consumption by IT servers and data centres is still underway.
	However from the very limited information that is currently available MTP estimates that for 2007 UK IT servers and data centres UK consumed approximately 3.7TWh and 9.5TWh respectively.
	The MTP's initial broad estimates are that the energy consumption from these products could increase to 7.2Twh and 21.3TWh respectively by 2020.
	MTP work in this area will be finalised in spring 2008 and will consolidate the above estimates of energy consumption as well as indicate what potential exists to restrict the growth in energy consumption in these areas.

Energy: Conservation

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the amount spent in England on domestic energy saving products of each type in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: My Department grant funds the Energy Saving Trust (EST) year-on-year, supporting the valuable work which it undertakes to encourage and promote the sustainable and efficient use of energy. The ESTs energy saving recommended label is a voluntary label which is awarded to the best energy saving products including insulation, heating controls, glazing, light bulbs, boilers and domestic appliances.
	The EST estimates the following has been spent on energy saving products in the last three years.
	
		
			  Total  e xpenditure( 1) 
			   
			   2004-05  2005-6  2006-7 
			  Refrigerators
			 A++ 84,625.60 161,386.55 538,082.10 
			 A+ 10,016,814 15,185,957 10,697,634 
			 A 92,531,854 113,121,329 115,357,441 
			  Fridge Freezers
			 A++   7,798 
			 A+ 1,826,870 7,467,013 21,628,049 
			 A 295,188,116 278,864,911 307,284,428 
			 
			  Upright freezers
			 A++ 8,646   
			 A+ 2,339,249 2,923,543 6,306,204 
			 A 45,817,989 30,372,612 62,806,106 
			  Chest freezers
			 A++   101,233 
			 A+ 764,254 976,899 2,954,138 
			 A 7,137,854 4,710,793 3,497,070 
			  Washer dryers
			 A++ 7,098,899  11,916,333 
			 A+ 50,225,650 53,299,505 63,881,510 
			 A 23,118,879 18,826,602 18,337,667 
			  Washing machines
			 A++ 775,796,507  1,188,360,371 
			 A+ 99,357,453 36,519,530 14,905,009 
			 A 7,101,014 4,438,724 709,394 
			  Dishwashers
			 A 173,160,225 176,897,538 181,827,107 
			 B 38,732,690 25,430,362 17,890,045 
			 C 13,506,545 3,116,433 1,765,459 
			 
			  Tumble dryers
			 A   1,620,127 
			 B   5,230,995 
			 C   155,774,725 
			 
			 Total White Goods 1,643,814,132.99 772,363,679.77 2,193,892,371.86 
			 (1 )Pro rated for England only 
		
	
	
		
			  Flat Panel( 1)  IDTV's s 
			   
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Sales   722,599 
			 Sum cost   225,289.39 
			 (1) EST have only included IDTVs in the ESR scheme in 2006  Source: HHIC 
		
	
	
		
			  Sales only 
			   
			   2004-05  2005-6  2006-7 
			  Boiler Sales
			 A 406,437 963,341 1,104,174 
			 B 57,537 261,731 303,857 
		
	
	
		
			   
			   2004-05  2005-6  2006-7 
			 Draught Excluders 36,236 983,125 924,243 
			 Insulation Jackets 11 ,464 63,580 52,659 
			 Loft Insulation 332,388 1,874,128 1,179,836 
			 Pipe Lagging 284,079 1,706,905 1,637,445 
			 Cavity wall Insulation 40,504 115,198 93,265 
		
	
	
		
			   
			   2004-05  2005-6  2006-7 
			 Compact fluorescent light bulbs 15,600,000 43,000,000 n/a 
			 n/a = Not available  (1) Pro Rated for England only   Source:  Gfk

Energy: Environment Protection

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department has carried out into the environmental effects of the new consumer energy display units and the integration of such units into current energy suppliers' infrastructure.

Phil Woolas: DEFRA commissioned a review on the Effectiveness of Feedback on Energy Consumption which is published on the DEFRA website. This established that direct feedback from a display unit can result in energy savings of approximately 5 to 15 per cent. This was greater than indirect feedback from more frequent, accurate bills, associated with smart meters, which was around 0 to 10 per cent.
	The review also found that consumers using display units are less likely to leave appliances on stand-by, whereas indirect feedback from information on bills allows consumers to understand changes from improved insulation.
	The integration of display units into energy suppliers' infrastructure is a commercial matter for the energy companies.

Flood Control: Finance

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how much has been allocated for flood prevention schemes for  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09 and  (c) 2009-10;
	(2)  by what procedures local authorities can gain access to central government funds to undertake flood prevention work;
	(3)  what statutory obligations require local authorities to undertake  (a) flood prevention and  (b) flood remediation works;
	(4)  what statutory obligations require  (a) water and  (b) drainage services to undertake flood prevention work;
	(5)  what statutory obligations require local authorities and utility services to cooperate on flooding issues;
	(6)  by what procedures residents' associations and other non-governmental local bodies can access  (a) central and  (b) local government funds for (i) flood prevention and (ii) flood remediation schemes.

Phil Woolas: Local authorities have permissive powers (but no statutory obligation) to undertake works to manage flood risk from the sea and from watercourses for which the Environment Agency and internal drainage boards do not hold such powers.
	Under section 94 of the Water Industry Act 1991 water and sewerage companies are responsible for the effectual drainage of foul and surface water arising from the drains of premises connected to the public sewerage system. Under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, during flood events, Category 2 responderswhich includes utilitieshave a general duty to co-operate and share information with Category 1 responders, which includes local authorities as well as emergency services and the Environment Agency.
	439 million has been allocated to the Environment Agency for flood risk management in 2007-08 and 21 million to local authorities and internal drainage boards for capital improvement projects to reduce flood risk. Further funding is provided through the local government funding mechanism operated by Communities and Local Government to support local authorities' non-capital flood risk management activities and from DEFRA to local authorities for capital projects to reduce risk of coastal erosion which often also provide significant flood risk benefits.
	The statement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 4 February 2008,  Official Report, column 50WS, details funding allocations for flood and coastal erosion risk management in future years. Specific allocations within the totals in the statement have not yet been made.
	DEFRA capital funding to local authorities for flood risk and coast protection projects is administered by the Environment Agency which is currently considering allocations based on returns submitted by the authorities last summer. As part of this process all local authorities were invited to submit returns indicating the cost and outcome of potential projects.
	DEFRA funding is not available directly to other organisations although we are currently undertaking a pilot project investigating the feasibility of a grant scheme to assist householders to install flood resilience measures in their homes. Local authorities have some flexibility to provide discretionary assistance for repairs and adaptations.

Food: Origin Marking

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the level of public support for country of origin food labelling.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 5 February 2008
	DEFRA will continue to liaise closely with the Food Standards Agency on the proposals emerging from the European Union's review of food labelling, which include origin labelling.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs why the installation of central heating in the property of Mrs. Betty Mays, of West Stockwith under the Warm Front scheme has been delayed.

Phil Woolas: Mrs. Mays contacted Warm Front on 19 November 2007 to request assistance following the failure of her heating system. A replacement boiler installation was completed on 29 January 2008.
	This work was within the 120 working day target time scale for the Warm Front scheme.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme: Grants

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) households and  (b) rural households in England received Warm Front grants in each year since the introduction of the Warm Front scheme; and what the average value of a Warm Front grant to (i) mains gas-connected households and (ii) a household off the gas network in England was in each year.

Phil Woolas: The number of assisted households up to December 2007 is set out in the following table. The figures for rural households prior to 2005 do not include households from the eastern region of England, as this data are unavailable.
	
		
			   Assisted households  Rural households 
			 2000-01 60,110 5,181 
			 2001-02 151,704 13,309 
			 2002-03 169,399 14,927 
			 2003-04 141,195 13,523 
			 2004-05 148,492 15,445 
			 2005-06 114,595 16,766 
			 2006-07 253,079 37,496 
			 2007-08 203,089 29,607 
			 Total 1,241,662 146,255 
		
	
	The following table summarises the average value of a Warm Front grant to (i) mains gas-connected households and (ii) households off the gas network in England.
	
		
			   
			   Average grant (off gas)  Average grant (mains gas- connected) 
			 2000-01 722.28 839.95 
			 2001-02 912.83 1,039.56 
			 2002-03 775.27 672.71 
			 2003-04 455.47 677.09 
			 2004-05 797.36 685.56 
			 2005-06 1,820.99 1,236.73 
			 2006-07 1,418.04 805.86 
			 2007-08 1,880.67 1,204.38 
			 Total 1,439.73 870.98

Horses: Animal Welfare

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what files are held by his Department on  (a) the Horses, Ponies and Donkeys Bill of Session 1987-88,  (b) the Horses, Ponies and Donkeys (No. 2) Bill of Session 1987-88 and  (c) the Protection Against Cruel Tethering Act 1988; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA has one file covering all three pieces of legislation.

Horses: Transport

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will raise in the EU Council of Ministers the distance which live horses are being transported across Europe to slaughter.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 21 January 2008
	It has long been Government policy that we prefer the export of meat rather than live animal exports for slaughter. New animal welfare measures came into effect in January 2007 with the implementation of EC Regulation 1/2005 on the welfare of animals during transportation. The provisions include important horse welfare measures that the UK put forward and which were supported by horse welfare organisations.
	We were disappointed that the new regulation did not include the provision for shorter journey times to final destination that we were seeking, but member states were unable to reach agreement on this. However, it now seems likely that the regulation's review will be brought forward to 2009 instead of 2011 as originally intended. During this review, we will be looking for reduced journey times for horses and other animals. Consequently, it would be premature to raise the issue with other European Ministers at this stage.

Housing: Rural Areas

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he will make a decision on the proposed Rural Housing Challenge Fund; what assessment he has made of the effect of the time taken to make the decision on rural housing enablers and the delivery of his Department's policies on affordable rural housing; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: As part of its preparations for the comprehensive spending review (CSR) during the summer of 2007, DEFRA asked the Housing Corporation to provide advice on the feasibility of a potential funding programme to improve the delivery of affordable rural housing at local level. That advice will be carefully considered in decisions about departmental spending priorities over the CSR period. No decisions about the fund have yet been made. We are currently finalising the Department's overall funding package and an announcement will be made shortly.
	Rural Housing Enablers are among the wide variety of projects funded through the two-year Rural Social and Community Programme, which will close, as planned, in March this year. Programme guidance, published in 2005, noted that all projects should draw up an 'exit strategy' to identify how they would develop beyond the time-limited period of the programme.
	The clear vision for the long-term future of Rural Housing Enablers has always been that they should be supported at local level by the very local authorities and Housing Associations whose rural delivery they exist to support. This is happening in many areas. However, these funding decisions are at the discretion of local delivery agents.

Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1935W, on influenza, what elements of the food industry sector's business continuity plans were tested in the cross-Government pandemic influenza exercise; whether any lessons were learned as a result of the exercise; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: A range of food sector manufacturers, retailers, primary producers and wholesalers tested their business continuity plans in the cross-Government pandemic influenza exercise. The Government have published a lessons learned document, available on the UK Resilience website, after discussions were held with the sector.

National Fallen Stock Collection and Disposal Scheme

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to review the ban on on-farm burial.

Jonathan R Shaw: There are no plans to review the ban on on-farm burial.

National Fallen Stock Collection and Disposal Scheme

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what mechanisms his Department has in place to monitor the effectiveness of the ban on on-farm burial in reducing the incidence of disease amongst livestock.

Jonathan R Shaw: None. The ban on burying on-farm fallen stock was introduced by the EU Animal By-Products Regulation 1774/2002. It is there to protect public and animal health from any potential risks associated with the burial of fallen stock.
	The regulation was made on a precautionary basis influenced by the evidence provided in a number of scientific opinions from the EU's scientific steering committee (SSC).

National Fallen Stock Collection and Disposal Scheme

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the cost to the livestock industry of removal of fallen stock and the effects of those costs on competitiveness.

Jonathan R Shaw: No such assessment has been made. However, the independent review of the national fallen stock scheme carried out in 2006 did an analysis of such costs and the impact on producers of the costs of fallen stock disposal. The report is available on the DEFRA website.

National Fallen Stock Collection and Disposal Scheme

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what percentage of livestock producers were members of the National Fallen Stock Scheme in each of the last three years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The national fallen stock scheme has had around 40,000 members for the past three years. The independent review of the scheme, carried out in 2006, estimated this constituted between 55 per cent. and 61 per cent. of the potential total membership in the UK.

National Fallen Stock Collection and Disposal Scheme

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress his Department has made in implementing the recommendations of the independent review of the National Fallen Stock Scheme and Company.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Government response to the independent review was published in February 2007 and a copy of that response is available on the DEFRA website. It noted that the Government was in the process of considering the National Fallen Stock Company business plan and wished to discuss it further with the company, with the aim of agreeing a joint way forward which could be put to the livestock industry.
	Since then, the Government have endorsed the company's business plan and is providing assistance in taking it forward. The Government remains in discussion with the company about its future operations and ownership. Once these discussions have concluded and the outcome has been put to the livestock industry, a further response will be published.

National Fallen Stock Collection and Disposal Scheme

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the National Fallen Stock Scheme.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Government are satisfied with the effectiveness of the arrangements for collecting and disposing of animals under the national fallen stock scheme.

National Fallen Stock Collection and Disposal Scheme

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the effects of the National Fallen Stock Scheme on the level of stock collection prices.

Jonathan R Shaw: No such assessment has been made. However, changes in fallen stock collection prices were analysed as part of the independent review of the national fallen stock scheme carried out in 2006. The report is available on the DEFRA website.

National Fallen Stock Collection and Disposal Scheme

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average stock collection price was for  (a) each type of animal and  (b) in each region in each of the last three years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Government do not collect such data. However, some information on collection prices by species and region is available in the report of the independent review of the national fallen stock scheme carried out in 2006. The report is available on the DEFRA website.

National Fallen Stock Collection and Disposal Scheme

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding his Department proposes to make available for the National Fallen Stock Scheme in each of the next three years; what allocations were originally made to the scheme for those years; and whether such funding is to continue after 2011.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA has no current plans to make funding available beyond the previously agreed period ending November 2008.

Political Impartiality

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what purpose his Department records the political opinions of  (a) staff and  (b) the public.

Jonathan R Shaw: Civil servants are required to act in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Code, and section 4.4 of the Civil Service Management Code.
	Members of the public who apply for public appointments within the jurisdiction of the Commissioner for Public Appointments are asked to complete a declaration on political activity.

Poultry

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many chickens were reared for meat in England in the last five years; and what percentage of those were reared free range in each year.

Jonathan R Shaw: The following table shows the number of chickens and hens slaughtered in England and Wales in the last five years.
	
		
			  Slaughtering  of chickens and hens in England and Wales 
			  Million birds 
			   Broilers (chickens)  Boilers (culled hens)  Total 
			 2003 657.5 33.6 691.1 
			 2004 647.9 32.3 680.1 
			 2005 666.4 34.0 700.4 
			 2006 654.9 32.3 687.2 
			 2007 646.2 33.0 679.2 
			  Note s : 1. The figures from the Great Britain Poultry Register are from an extract of data taken on 30 January 2008. The figures represent the number of chickens usually present at a premises, and as such they should be taken as approximate. 2. It is mandatory for all premises with 50 or more poultry to register on Great Britain Poultry Register. Registration for smaller premises is voluntary so these premises are under-represented here.  Source: DEFRA 
		
	
	According to the Great Britain Poultry Register there were 101.3 million chickens registered as being reared for meat production on premises in England as at 30 January 2008. Of these chickens, 3.5 million (3.4 per cent.) were registered as free range. Estimates of the proportion which are free range are not available for earlier years.
	It should be noted that as free range birds are on farms for longer than other broilers, the proportion of production which is free range will lower than the proportion of population on farm. However, this will be offset by the fact that the Great Britain Poultry Register is only voluntary for flocks of less than 50 birds, a higher proportion of which would be free range.

Warm Front Scheme: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people have received grants from the WarmFront scheme in each London borough since its introduction.

Phil Woolas: Since the introduction of Warm Front in 2000, the number of households receiving a grant in each London borough is as follows:
	
		
			   Households 
			 Barking and Dagenham 4,646 
			 Barnet 3,010 
			 Bexley 3,750 
			 Brent 3,176 
			 Bromley 3,453 
			 Camden 596 
			 City of London 3 
			 Croydon 4,462 
			 Ealing 4,372 
			 Enfield 4,269 
			 Greenwich 3,904 
			 Hackney 3,509 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 978 
			 Haringey 4,842 
			 Harrow 2,659 
			 Havering 5,122 
			 Hillingdon 2,889 
			 Hounslow 2,312 
			 Islington 1,117 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 357 
			 Kingston upon Thames 756 
			 Lambeth 2,749 
			 Lewisham 3,941 
			 Merton 2,852 
			 Newham 8,719 
			 Redbridge 5,541 
			 Richmond upon Thames 947 
			 Southwark 1,771 
			 Sutton 2,011 
			 Tower Hamlets 2,015 
			 Waltham Forest 6,661 
			 Wandsworth 1,543 
			 Westminster 798 
			   
			 Total grants 99,730

Wind Power: Licensing

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are planned to enable marine stakeholders to be consulted in licensing decisions for offshore wind farms generating over 100MW of power.

Iain Wright: I have been asked to reply.
	Offshore windfarms are currently required to have a number of licenses and consents in place, for example under the Food and Environment Protection Act (FEPA) 1985, Coast Protection Act (CPA) 1949 and under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. Thorough consultation arrangements are in place for each, including with marine stakeholders. In addition, as part of the process for selecting offshore sites, in December 2007 the Government launched the scoping work for a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) for the next offshore licensing round. The SEA process will include consultation with marine stakeholders.
	Under the Planning Bill, currently progressing through Parliament, the Independent Planning Commission would take over responsibility for decisions on applications for orders granting development consent on nationally significant infrastructure projects, within the framework set by national policy statements. These will include offshore windfarms over 100MW.
	The Bill includes provisions which will ensure that stakeholders are involved in the decisions at each stage. There will be public consultation on national policy statements before they are designated; a legal duty on promoters to publicise their proposed application and to consult prescribed parties about it; and any party that registers an interest by the appropriate deadline will have a right to be heard by the IPC when it considers the application.

Carbon Emissions

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average level of domestic carbon emissions produced by  (a) all houses,  (b) an average-sized house built to minimum building regulation standards,  (c) an average-sized house built to Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes and  (d) an average-sized house built to Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes was in the most recent year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Iain Wright: I have been asked to reply.
	The standards for the energy performance of homes in the Code for Sustainable Homes are specified in terms of emissions. The relevant emissions rates are expressed as improvements against the standards set in the Building Regulations Approved Document L (2006) and measured using the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP).
	In 2005, the latest year for which figures are available, carbon dioxide emissions from the household sector were 148.5 million tonnes. The target emission rate for an average home meeting the standards in Part L of the Building Regulations 2006 is 0.553 tonnes of carbon per annum. For an average home (broadly defined as a semi-detached house with a gas-fired central heating boiler and a floor area of 88.8 metres squared) this equates to approximately 8300 kWh of gas and 983 kWh of electricity.
	To meet Code level 3, a house will have to be designed and built to achieve a 25 per cent. improvement on this rate. To meet Code Level 4, a house will have to be designed and built to achieve a 44 per cent. improvement on the 2006 Part L target emission rate.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Children: Maintenance

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of those required to make payments by the Child Support Agency did not fulfil their obligations in the latest period for which figures are available.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 7 February 2008:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the chief executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of those required to make payments by the Child Support Agency did not fulfil their obligations in the latest period for which figures are available.
	The proportion of those required to make payments by the Child Support Agency that did fulfil their obligations (and hence by derivation those that did not) is available in table 7.2 of the December 2007 Quarterly Summary of Statistics.
	This can be found in the House of Commons Library or at the following website http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/child_support/dec2007/csa_dec07_tables.xls.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Children: Maintenance

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many active Child Support Agency cases have been outstanding for more than three months.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 7 February 2008:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the chief executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many active Child Support Agency cases have been outstanding for more than three months.
	The Agency currently has 121,000 uncleared applications over three months old. Under the Agency's Operational Improvement Plan the number of uncleared applications has been halved since March 2006, and is now at its lowest point since October 2003. Additional information on uncleared cases can be found in tables 2.1 and 5 of the December 2007 CSA Quarterly Summary of Statistics (QSS), available in the House of Commons Library or online at http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/csa.asp.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Departmental Foreign Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) EU foreign nationals and  (b) non-EU foreign nationals are employed by his Department.

Anne McGuire: The information requested is not currently available and to obtain it would involve disproportionate cost.

Departmental ICT

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) male and  (b) female members of staff in his Department were issued with personal digital assistants in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The Department has issued 731 personal digital assistants. 103 were issued in 2005 with 31 issued to female staff and 72 issued to male staff. 628 were issued in 2007 with 275 issued to female staff and 353 issued to male staff.

Departmental Public Appointments

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many political appointments were made by his Department in each of the last 10 years.

Anne McGuire: Since 2003, the Government have published on an annual basis the number of special advisers in each pay band. For the most recent information I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 22 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 147-50WS.
	Information on the numbers and costs of special advisers prior to 2003 was provided at regular intervals and is available in the Library of the House.

Disability Living Allowance

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of raising the age limit for claiming disability living allowance in line with the increase in state pension age.

Anne McGuire: It is estimated that, based on 2007-08 prices, the cost of raising the age limit for claiming disability living allowance in line with the increase in state pension age will rise to about 0.6 billion a year by 2050-51.

Disability Living Allowance: Children

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of disabled children eligible to claim the  (a) lower,  (b) medium and  (c) higher rate of the (i) care and (ii) mobility component of the disability living allowance who are (A) under 16 and (B) under 18 years old in full-time education;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of children and young people up to the age of 18 years old eligible to claim disability-related benefits in the UK, broken down by age.

Anne McGuire: No such estimates are available.

Disability Living Allowance: Children

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many disabled children under  (a) 16 and  (b) 18 years old in full-time education claimed the (i) lower, (ii) medium and (iii) higher rate of the (A) care and (B) mobility component of the disability living allowance in the latest period for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: All children aged between five and 15 (inclusive) are required to be in full-time education. Information about the number of these children who are in receipt of disability living allowance is in the table.
	It is not possible to estimate with confidence the number of disabled children who are aged 16 and 17 in full-time education and in receipt of disability living allowance.
	
		
			  Children aged five to 15 claiming disability living allowance by award typeMay 2007 
			   Care component  Mobility component 
			  Age  Highest  Middle  Lowest  Higher  Lower 
			 5 to 15 92,800 140,890 15,900 54,870 137,200 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Some additional disclosure control has also been applied. 3. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 4. Caseload totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital.  Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study

Employment Schemes: Greater London

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of participation in the employment retention and advancement pilot by Leyton and Wanstead residents; how many residents have participated; what they have received in  (a) monetary and  (b) non-monetary terms; and how long that pilot has been in operation.

Anne McGuire: The Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) demonstration was launched in six Jobcentre Plus districts, including North East London, from October 2003 and final participants completed their time on ERA in November 2007.
	ERA was designed to test the effectiveness of a package of post-employment support and financial incentives in helping customers sustain and progress in employment. It was offered to lone parents on New Deal for Lone Parents, lone parents who were already working part-time and receiving working tax credit, and eligible long-term unemployed adults on New Deal 25 plus.
	Around 16,000 people were randomly assigned to either the ERA programme or to a control group across the six districts. Just under 1,500 people in north east London district, which comprises the local authorities of Barking and Dagenham; Havering; Red bridge, and Waltham Forest, received the ERA service. The requested information is not available broken down at constituency level.
	ERA participants were eligible to receive the service for 33 months, and received the following support once in employment:
	(1) in-work advisory support from Jobcentre Plus,
	(2) an employment retention bonus of 400, available up to six times, for staying in full-time work for 13 out of every 17 weeks;
	(3) access to emergency payments to overcome short-term barriers to staying in work;
	(4) training tuition assistance up to the value of 1,000, and
	(5) a training bonus for completing training while employed, which was also up to the value of 1,000.
	A report on year-one ERA findings 'Implementation and First-Year Impacts of the UK Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) Demonstration', DWP Research Report No 412, was published in February 2007, and is being placed in the Library. A report on outcomes two years after random assignment is due to be published in April 2008. The full evaluation of ERA will not be available until 2010.

Incapacity Benefit

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people  (a) died and  (b) reached state retirement age while in receipt of incapacity benefit in each of the last three years.

Anne McGuire: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of those leaving incapacity benefits through retirement or death( 1)  (year to February) 
			   2005  2006  2007 
			 Retirement 63,400 58,700 63,300 
			 Death 28,000 27,300 27,900 
			  Notes: 1. (1)some destinations for those leaving incapacity benefits are not known, so these figures may undercount the true number leaving through retirement or death. 2. Incapacity benefits include incapacity benefit, income support for incapacity and severe disablement allowance.  Source:  DWP 5 per cent. administrative, terminations data, May 2007

Industrial Health and Safety: Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the obligations on employers under  (a) the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and  (b) other health and safety legislation to prepare for a potential influenza pandemic.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Westbury (Dr. Murrison) on 8 January 2008,  Official Report, column 435W.

Industrial Health and Safety: Noise

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance he gives to operators of sports stadiums on the volume of recorded music and public announcements; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 require employers to reduce risks arising from noise at work to as low a level as is reasonably practicable. HSE guidance booklet 'Controlling Noise at Work' (ISBN 0717661644) provides advice on these regulations and their application. Further advice is provided in 'The Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds' published by the Department for Culture Media and Sport. This provides general advice on safety at sports grounds including the operation of public address systems.

Industrial Health and Safety: Prosecutions

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) enforcement notices have been served and  (b) prosecutions have been initiated by health and safety inspectors under health and safety at work legislation in each year since 2002-03, broken down by region.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 22 January 2008
	The information is as follows:
	 (a) The full regional breakdown of notices initiated by health and safety inspectors is not available below the country level of England, Scotland or Wales, as local authority (LA) figures are available only at this level.
	LAs issued the following number of notices between 2002-03 to 2006-07.
	
		
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Great Britain 5,780 6,080 6,420 6,770 6,960 
		
	
	These LA figures are from non-statutory annual returns to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Estimates are made for notices issued where an LA does not make a return and these are included in the aforementioned figures.
	However the total number of enforcement notices issued by HSE inspectors, since 2002-03, by Government office region are available, and are as follows:
	
		
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 East of England 1,042 1,098 913 613 n/a 
			 East Midlands 1,044 832 710 644 n/a 
			 London 943 920 538 547 n/a 
			 North East 532 494 388 297 n/a 
			 North West 1,648 1,425 1,039 907 n/a 
			 South East 1,379 1,149 774 626 n/a 
			 South West 894 747 649 446 n/a 
			 West Midlands 1,514 1,261 901 660 n/a 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 1,174 954 783 716 n/a 
			 Scotland 1,378 1,263 992 786 n/a 
			 Wales 1,245 738 458 319 n/a 
			 Not Allocated (n/a) 531 454 326 32  
			   
			 Great Britain 13,324 11,335 8,471 6,593 8,099 
			  Note: The 2006-07 value is the provisional published figure and the regional breakdown will be available in autumn 2008. 
		
	
	The aforementioned table includes enforcement notices issued by health and safety inspectors against the rail industry. Notices up to and including 2005-06 were issued by HSE inspectors. However from 1 April 2006, responsibility for health and safety enforcement in the rail industry passed to the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR). As a result, the 2006-07 figure includes Notices issued by ORR inspectors.
	The combined totals of enforcement notices issued by HSE, LA and most recently ORR health and safety inspectors are as follows:
	
		
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Great Britain 19,104 17,415 14,891 13,363 15,059 
		
	
	 (b) The total number of prosecutions initiated (i.e. individual charges laid) by health and safety inspectors, since 2002-03, by Government office region are as follows:
	
		
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 East of England 180 228 248 253 170 
			 East Midlands 171 167 110 110 117 
			 London 167 137 135 103 153 
			 North East 76 81 64 27 65 
			 North West 249 216 135 138 186 
			 South East 135 200 139 95 172 
			 South West 138 126 109 61 114 
			 West Midlands 291 259 220 153 166 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 129 210 127 153 156 
			 Scotland 212 310 182 130 101 
			 Wales 140 94 104 51 72 
			 Not Allocated (n/a) 101 102 79 39 9 
			   
			 Great Britain 1,989 2,130 1,652 1,313 1,481 
		
	
	The aforementioned figures include both Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authority (LA) initiated prosecutions. Prosecutions initiated against the rail industry are included in the HSE component of these figures.
	The prosecution figures are for Great Britain only. The 2006-07 values include provisional published figures for the HSE. Finalised figures for the HSE will be available in autumn 2008.
	These prosecution figures relate to the year when the offence was last heard in the courts.

Local Employment Partnerships: Oxfordshire

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the target is for the number of local employers to be involved in the local employment partnership in the  (a) Banbury and  (b) Oxford travel-to-work area;
	(2)  what the target is for the number of unemployed people to be found jobs in the  (a) Banbury and  (b) Oxford travel-to-work area via local employment partnerships.

Anne McGuire: There are no target number for employers to recruit through local employment partnerships (LEPs) in individual Jobcentre Plus regions and districts.
	Local employment partnerships are open to all employers willing to make the commitment to open up more job opportunities to people at a disadvantage in the labour market. Jobcentre Plus is now working to engage both major national companies and local employers who would like to work through LEPs.

Motability Vehicle Scheme

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department is taking steps to extend eligibility for the Motability vehicle scheme to those people in need of mobility assistance who are over 65 years.

Anne McGuire: The Motability scheme is open to anyone who has qualified for the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance, or War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement and has an award length of sufficient duration. These awards can continue in payment beyond the age of 65 and in such circumstances a person would continue to have access to the Motability scheme.
	There are no plans to change eligibility to the Motability scheme.

National Insurance

Terry Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the rate of national insurance contributions was for  (a) employers and  (b) employees in each of the last 30 years.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The rate of national insurance contributions for employers and employees in each of the last 30 years is shown as follows.
	
		
			  Rates of national insurance contributions 
			  Percentage 
			   Employee  Employer 
			 1977-78 5.75 10.75 
			 1978-79 to 1 October 1978 6.5 12.0 
			 1978-79 from 2 October 1978 6.5 13.5 
			 1979-80 6.5 13.5 
			 1980-81 6.75 13.7 
			 1901-82 7.75 13.7 
			 1982-83 to 1 August 1982 8.75 13.7 
			 1982-83 from 2 August 1982 8.75 12.2 
			 1983-84 to 31 July 1983 9 11.95 
			 1983-84 from 1 August 1983 9 11.45 
			 1984-85 to 30 September 1984 9 11.45 
			 1984-85 from 1 October 1984 9 10.45 
			 1985-86 to 5 October 1985 9 10.45 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Weekly earnings  Employee  Employer 
			 1985-86 from 6 October 1985 35.50 to 54.99 5 5 
			  55.00 to 89.99 7 7 
			  90.00 to 129.99 9 9 
			  130.00 to 265.00 9 (1)10.45 
			 
			 1986-87 38.00 to 59.99 5 5 
			  60.00 to 94.99 7 7 
			  95.00 to 139.99 9 9 
			  140.00 to 285.00 9 (1)10.45 
			 
			 1987-88 39.00 to 64.99 5 5 
			  65.00 to 99.99 7 7 
			  100.00 to 149.00 9 9 
			  150.00 to 295.00 9 (1)10.45 
			 
			 1988-89 41.00 to 69.99 5 5 
			  70.00 to 104.99 7 7 
			  105.99 to 154.99 9 9 
			  155.00 to 305.00 9 (1)10.45 
			 
			 1989-90 to 4 October 1989 43.00 to 74.99 5 5 
			  75.00 to 114.99 7 7 
			  115.00 to 164.99 9 9 
			  165.00 to 325.00 9 (1)10.45 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 
			Employee  
			   Weekly earnings  First 43  Over 43  Employer 
			 1989-90 from 5 October 1989 43.00 to 74.99 2 9 5 
			  75.00 to 114.99 2 9 7 
			  115.00 to 164.99 2 9 9 
			  165.00 to 325.00 2 9 (1)10.45 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 
			Employee  
			   Weekly earnings  First   46  Over   46  Employer 
			 1990-91 46.00 to 79.99 2 9 5 
			  80.00 to 124.99 2 9 7 
			  125.00 to 174.99 2 9 9 
			  175.00 to 350.00 2 9 (1)10.45 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 
			Employee  
			   Weekly earnings  First 52  Over 52  Employer 
			 1991-92 52.00 to 84.99 2 9 4.6 
			  85.00 to 129.00 2 9 6.6 
			  130.00 to 184.99 2 9 8.6 
			  185.00 to 390.00 2 9 (1)10.4 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 
			Employee  
			   Weekly earnings  First 54  Over 54  Employer 
			 1992-93 54.00 to 89.00 2 9 4.6 
			  90.00 to 134.99 2 9 6.6 
			  135.00 to 189.99 2 9 8.6 
			  190.00 405.00 2 9 (1)10.4 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 
			Employee  
			   Weekly earnings  First 56  Over 56  Employer 
			 1993-94 56.00 to 94.99 2 9 4.6 
			  95.00 to 139.99 2 9 6.6 
			  140.00 to 194.99 2 9 8.6 
			  195.00 to 420.00 2 9 (1)10.4 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 
			Employee  
			   Weekly earnings  First 57  Over57  Employer 
			 1994-95 57.00 to 99.99 2 10 3.6 
			  100.00 to 144.99 2 10 5.6 
			  145.00 to 199.99 2 10 7.6 
			  200.00 to 430.00 2 10 (1)10.2 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 
			Employee  
			   Weekly earnings  First 58  Over 58  Employer 
			 1995-96 58.00 to 104.99 2 10 3 
			  105.00 to 149.99 2 10 5 
			  150.00 to 204.99 2 10 7 
			  205.00 to 440.00 2 10 (1)10.2 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 
			Employee  
			   Weekly earnings  First  61  Over  61  Employer 
			 1996-97 61.00 to 109.99 2 10 3 
			  110.00 to 154.99 2 10 5 
			  155.00 to 209.99 2 10 7 
			  210.00 to 455.00 2 10 (1)10.2 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 
			Employee  
			   Weekly earnings  First  62  Over  62  Employer 
			 1997-98 62.00 to 109.99 2 10 3 
			  110.00 to 154.99 2 10 5 
			  155.00 to 209.99 2 10 7 
			  210.00 to 465.00 2 10 (1)10 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 
			Employee  
			   Weekly earnings  First  62  Over  62  Employer 
			 1998-99 64.00 to 109.99 2 10 3 
			  110.00 to 154.99 2 10 5 
			  155.00 to 209.99 2 10 7 
			  210.00 to 485.00 2 10 (1)10 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Employee  Employer 
			 1999-2000 10 (1)12.2 
			 2000-01 10 (1)12.2 
			 2001-02 10 (1)11.9 
			 2002-03 10 (1)11.8 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Employee  
			   Up to UEL  Over UEL  Employer 
			 2003-04 11 (2)1 (1)12.8 
			 2004-05 11 (2)1 (1)12.8 
			 2005-06 11 (2)1 (1)12.8 
			 2006-07 11 (2)1 (1)12.8 
			 2007-08 11 (2)1 (1)12.8 
			 (1) Employers pay NICs on all earnings above the Upper Earnings Limit (UEL) (2) Employees pay NICs on all earnings above the UEL  Note: Reduced rates apply on earnings paid to those in contracted-out employment (both employee and employer) and those women electing to pay reduce rate NIC (employee only).

Natural Gas: Safety

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to promote greater awareness among domestic landlords and their tenants of their duties and rights under gas safety regulations.

Anne McGuire: Landlords are responsible for ensuring that gas systems and appliances are safe for their tenants to use and checked annually for safety by installers registered with the Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI). The Health and Safety Executive promotes awareness of these matters through its website, through published alerts and through free leaflets for landlords and for the public, including tenants. CORGI also promotes gas safety messages for landlords and tenants in its public information.

New Deal Schemes: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people found work in Enfield North through the New Deal in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2007.

Anne McGuire: The new deal programme started in January 1998. The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  People into work through new deal in Enfield North 
			   Number 
			 1998(1) 140 
			 2006(1) 420 
			 January to May 2007(2) 190 
			 (1) Data are for the earliest and latest full calendar years. (2) Latest information is only available for January to May 2007.  Notes: 1. Programme start dates are: new deal for young people: January 1998; new deal 25-plus: July 1998; new deal for lone parents: October 1998; new deal for partners: April 1999; new deal 50-plus: April 2000; new deal for disabled people: July 2001. 2. Data for 1998 only include information for new deal for young people, new deal 25-plus and new deal for lone parents. 3. New deal for young people operated as a pilot in 12 pathfinder locations only (not including Enfield North) from January to March 1998, and was rolled out nationally in April 1998. 4. Data are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: DWP Information Directorate.

Pension Credit

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many residents in Milton Keynes received pension credit in each year since its inception.

Mike O'Brien: The number of households receiving and individual beneficiaries of pension credit in Milton Keynes local authority are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Household recipients  Individual beneficiaries 
			 November 2003 4,900 5,900 
			 May 2004 5,990 7,290 
			 May 2005 6,500 7,960 
			 May 2006 6,660 8,180 
			 May 2007 6,850 8,370 
			  Notes: 1. The number of households in receipt and individual beneficiaries are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Pension credit was introduced in October 2003 so data for 2003 is as at November. 3. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household.  Source: DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data

Pensioners: Council Tax Benefits

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the take-up rate was of council tax benefit for pensioners in each year since 1997-98 for which figures are available.

James Plaskitt: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave on 15 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1150W, to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable).

Pensioners: Fuel Poverty

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure that recent increases in energy prices do not increase levels of poverty among pensioners.

Mike O'Brien: The Government are committed to tackling fuel poverty. Fuel prices do fluctuate and although fuel prices have risen since 2003 this follows a period of price stability between 1997 and 2003. Between 1996-97 and 2005-06 pensioners' incomes increased by 29 per cent. in real terms, compared with a 15 per cent. real terms increase in utility bills between 1996-97 and 2006.
	Winter fuel payments provide a significant contribution to pensioners' heating bills. The winter fuel payment has risen from 20 in 1997-98 to 200 and 300 for oldest pensioners. Last year the winter fuel payment helped more than 11 million older people with their fuel bills, and assistance has been provided for two million low income households though schemes to improve energy efficiency, for example through better heating and insulation.
	Incomes of the poorest pensioner households have risen by around 30 per cent. over the last 10 years. In addition we have successively raised the pension credit standard minimum guarantee in line with earnings every year since its introduction. In April 2008 the standard minimum guarantee will rise by 4.2 per cent. which is higher than the relevant average earnings index, ensuring that pension credit more than keeps pace with earnings and prices.

Pensioners: Poverty

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his most recent estimate is of the number of pensioners living in poverty in the London Borough of Bexley.

Mike O'Brien: Specific information regarding low income for the United Kingdom is available in Households Below Average Income 1994/95-2005/06. The threshold of below 60 per cent. contemporary median income is the most commonly used in reporting trends in low income.
	The data source does not allow us to provide robust numbers for estimates below the level of Government office region. However there are approximately 200,000 pensioners living in London with below 60 per cent. of median income (after housing costs). This figure is the average over three survey years, 2003/04 to 2005/06, and is based on information from the Family Resources Survey.
	 Notes:
	1. Three survey year averages are given for each of the regions as robust single year estimates cannot be produced because of the sample sizes for individual regions.
	2. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or equivalised) for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living.
	3. The figures are based on OECD equalisation factors.
	4. The preferred measure of low income for pensioners is by using a threshold of 60 per cent. of the contemporary median income after housing costs. This is consistent with indicators that will be monitored as part of PSA delivery agreement 17.
	5. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100,000.

Performance Appraisals

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 16 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1381W, on performance appraisals, in what format information is available on departmental staff  (a) performance against objectives and  (b) appraisals;
	(2)  what information is collected by his Department on the performance of departmental staff  (a) at appraisals and  (b) against objectives.

Anne McGuire: Information is not collated centrally on the performance of departmental staff against objectives.
	Information is collated on employee's overall performance levels. Managers award one of four performance levels: 'Top', 'Higher', 'Majority' or 'Lower'. The information of the percentage of employees at each level is then collated across the Department.

Poverty: Young People

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps are being taken to combat poverty among young people in otherwise wealthy rural areas.

Anne McGuire: There are greater variations of both unemployment and poverty within regions than there are between them, both in rural and urban regions.
	The Government believe that employment is the best route out of poverty for families both now and in the future. By helping more parents into work now we will be able to break the cycle of generational benefit dependency and help prevent more young people from living a life on benefits in the future.
	Since 1997, the proportion of children living in workless households has fallen from 18.7 per cent. to 16 per cent. in quarter two of 2007. This is a reduction of over 405,000 nationally.
	We also believe that early engagement in learning and educational attainment is key to providing positive outcomes for young people and reducing the risk of them falling into poverty in later life, irrespective of where they live.
	Progress is being made. 2006 saw the highest numbers ever continuing in full-time education when they completed year 11 across the country. In addition, since 1997 the proportion of 16 to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training has fallen from 17.8 per cent. to 17.1 per cent. nationally, with rural areas having a better figure than the national figure; 13.7 per cent. according to the latest figures available.
	In order to assist young people stay in full-time education, especially in rural areas, local authorities have to make transport arrangements where they consider it 'necessary' to secure a child's attendance at school and in those circumstances it must be free of charge. In addition, the Education and Inspections Act 2006 extended entitlement to free school travel for pupils entitled to free school meals or whose parents are in receipt of maximum working tax credit.
	To help those young people who are having difficulties getting into education, employment or training the Government have recently strengthened their strategy to help them do so. We plan to give early access to the new deal to 18-year-olds who claim jobseeker's allowance having already spent a period of time not working or studying, giving them direct support and advice on the best way to start on the road to a life of employment.

Social Security Benefits: Young People

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the minimum income guarantee is for young people aged 16 to 18 living independently; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: There is no minimum income guarantee for young people aged 16 to 18.
	It is this Government's aim to encourage 16 and 17-year-old school leavers to make the most of their potential by entering further education, employment or taking up the Government's guarantee of a place on Work Based Learning for Young People rather than encouraging them to live independently.
	Young people under the age of 18 do not have automatic entitlement to jobseeker's allowance unless they fall into what is known as a 'prescribed circumstance'. These circumstances are specified in the jobseeker's allowance regulations. Where a young person does not come within a prescribed circumstance, the regulations do allow for the discretionary award of jobseeker's allowance, but only where the young person can show that they would be in severe hardship were they not to receive benefit.
	Income support is available for people who do not have to demonstrate their availability for work and training, for example, young people who are sick or disabled, are lone parents, or who are continuing in non-advanced full-time education while estranged from their parents.
	Young people under 18 can qualify for other benefits, such as incapacity or disability benefits, in their own right where they meet the qualifying conditions.

Trade Unions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what meetings he has had with trades union officials since 1 July 2007; on what dates; and with which trades unions.

Anne McGuire: Ministers meet many people as part of the process of policy development. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meetings.

Workstep: Finance

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what definition he uses for sustained progression payment in relation to Workstep contractors.

Anne McGuire: The definition of a sustained progression payment on Workstep is that a Workstep employee must have worked for a minimum of 22 weeks in the 26-week period following their progression off the programme.

TREASURY

Alcoholic Drinks: Death

David Wilshire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many alcohol-related deaths there were in  (a) the borough of Spelthorne and  (b) the Administrative County of Surrey area in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many alcohol-related deaths there have been in (a) the borough of Spelthorne and (b) the Administrative County of Surrey are in each of the last five years. (185175)
	The attached table provides the number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause, for (a) Spelthorne local authority district, and (b) Surrey county, for 2002 to 2006 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause of death( 1) , Spelthorne local authority district and Surrey county( 2,3) , 2002 to 2006 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   Spelthorne  Surrey 
			 2002 17 130 
			 2003 9 80 
			 2004 12 106 
			 2005 11 117 
			 2006 20 112 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). The specific causes of death categorised as alcohol-related, and their corresponding ICD-10 codes, are shown in the following box. (2) Based on boundaries as of 2007. (3) Spelthorne local authority district is wholly contained within Surrey county, (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Box 1 :  Alcohol-related causes of death - International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) 
			  Cause of death  ICD-10 code(s) 
			 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol F10 
			 Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol G31.2 
			 Alcoholic polyneuropathy G62.1 
			 Alcoholic cardiomyopathy I42.6 
			 Alcoholic gastritis K29.2 
			 Alcoholic liver disease K70 
			 Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified K73 
			 Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver (excl. Biliary cirrhosis) K74 (excl. K74.3-K74.5) 
			 Alcohol induced chronic pancreatitis K86.0 
			 Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X45 
			 Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X65 
			 Poisoning by and exposure to alcohol, undetermined intent Y15

British Airports Authority

John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what meetings he and his predecessor attended with the British Airports Authority in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006 and  (c) 2007;
	(2)  what meetings he and his predecessor attended with representatives of the aviation industry in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006 and  (c) 2007.

Angela Eagle: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Children: Death

David Heath: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children aged between five and 15 years died in each coroner's district in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 7 February 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many children aged between five and 15 years died in each coroner's district in each of the last five years. (184741)
	It is not possible to tabulate deaths by coroner's district from mortality data collected by ONS. However, the table below contains the number of deaths in children aged five to 15 by type of certifier in England and Wales from 2002 to 2006.
	
		
			  Number of deaths in children aged between five and 15, by type of certifier, England and Wales, 2002 to 2006( 1) 
			   Death certified by:  
			   D octor  C oroner  U ncertified  Total deaths 
			 2002 518 468 1 987 
			 2003 509 457 2 968 
			 2004 482 416 2 900 
			 2005 456 423 1 880 
			 2006 475 411 1 887 
			 (1) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Crown Lands and Estates: Wind Power

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2008,  Official Report, column 289W, on Crown lands and estates: wind power, what proportion of the income derived by the Crown Estate from wind powered electricity generating installations situated offshore came from  (a) rental fees charged to third party wind power generators and  (b) wind powered electricity generated by Crown Estate operations in each financial year since 2001-02.

Angela Eagle: The income is wholly derived from rental fees.

Departmental Advertising

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of his Department's expenditure was on advertising in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Eagle: For advertising costs I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) by the then Financial Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Wentworth (John Healey) on 25 June 2007,  Official Report, column 376W. Details of advertising spending for years prior to 2002-03 could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Details of departmental spending can be found in Chapter 7 of HM Treasury Annual Report and Accounts 2006-07 HC 518, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Marketing

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many posters or displays there are in the offices of his Department and its agencies displaying the names and photographs of Ministers; and what the cost has been of producing such posters or displays in the last five years.

Angela Eagle: There is one display featuring photographs of Ministers in HM Treasury. It is not possible to provide details of the cost of the display over the last five years, but expenditure on individual additions to it over the years will have been minimal. I am not aware of any other displays or posters featuring the names and photographs of Ministers in the Treasury's agencies.

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2007,  Official Report, column 615W, on departmental training, what training is undertaken by the Performance and Efficiency Team; and how much his Department spent on training in 2006-07.

Angela Eagle: Treasury staff, including those in the Performance and Efficiency team, undertake a range of training in core areas of Treasury business such as public spending. On the costs of training in 2006-07, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 17 September 2007,  Official Report, column 2236W.

Employment Agencies

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department paid to recruitment agencies in relation to departmental appointments in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: I refer the to the answer given by the former Financial Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Wentworth (John Healey) to the hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) on 24 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 1000-01W.

Employment: Greater London

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the employment rate of  (a) men and  (b) women in each London borough was in (i) 2001 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 7 Febaruy 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary question asking what the employment rate of  (a) men and  (b) women in each London borough was in (i) 2001 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available. (185239)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles employment statistics for local areas from the annual Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	Table 1, attached, shows the employment rate, for men and women of working age (males aged 16 to 64 and females aged 16 to 59) resident in each London borough for the 12 months ending in February 2002, from the annual LFS, and June 2007, from the APS. Corresponding employment levels are also provided for the number of people employed, aged 16+, in each London borough.
	These estimates are for a subset of the population in a small geographical areas, and are based on small sample sizes, They are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Table 1: Male and Female Employment in London boroughs in the 12 months ending February 2002 and June 2007 
			  thousand 
			  12 months ending  February 2002  June 2007 
			   Male  Female  Male  Female 
			   Number( 1)  Rate (%)( 2)  Number( 1)  Rate (%)( 2)  Numbe( 1)  Rate (%)( 2)  Number( 1)  Rate (%)( 2) 
			 Barking and Dagenham 38 77 30 58 38 75 30 56 
			 Barnet 85 84 69 66 96 78 74 66 
			 Bexley 57 83 48 70 58 80 47 67 
			 Brent 65 72 57 62 72 75 50 58 
			 Bromley 77 83 67 72 80 85 72 73 
			 Camden 52 73 43 58 54 71 46 61 
			 City of London n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Croydon 84 80 78 72 88 76 82 72 
			 Ealing 79 76 64 60 85 77 63 60 
			 Enfield 67 76 55 62 76 79 54 59 
			 Greenwich 52 75 46 64 52 72 48 64 
			 Hackney 40 61 38 55 50 66 39 54 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 47 80 40 65 50 74 42 64 
			 Haringey 49 65 42 53 59 74 48 63 
			 Harrow 53 78 47 68 60 81 49 66 
			 Havering 57 82 49 73 60 83 49 73 
			 Hillingdon 65 84 54 68 66 76 54 65 
			 Hounslow 56 78 50 70 58 78 47 65 
			 Islington 44 74 36 57 45 71 39 61 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 43 76 33 55 49 73 35 53 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 43 85 34 71 47 84 37 71 
			 Lambeth 70 74 62 67 70 76 53 57 
			 Lewisham 58 70 54 63 64 72 60 66 
			 Merton 54 85 44 72 55 81 49 72 
			 Newham 49 63 35 45 59 70 36 45 
			 Redbridge 59 76 50 67 62 75 49 59 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 50 86 45 75 54 83 46 72 
			 Southwark 57 68 52 61 64 73 48 57 
			 Sutton 51 87 44 78 51 84 44 72 
			 Tower Hamlets 42 62 31 48 47 64 30 42 
			 Waltham Forest 53 74 47 63 53 73 46 63 
			 Wandsworth 77 85 72 74 76 80 69 69 
			 Westminster, City of 48 73 39 59 55 69 41 54 
			 n/a = Not available.  1. Number of employed aged 16+.  2. Number of employed as a percentage of working age population.   Source:  Annual Labour Force Survey/Annual Population Survey.

Excise Duties: Diesel Fuel

David Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will freeze the level of duty on diesel; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers I gave the right hon. Member for East Yorkshire (Mr. Knight) and the hon. Member for Southend, West (Mr. Amess) on 7 January 2008,  Official Report, column 330W.

Income Tax

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of people who have made an incorrect income tax payment in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The information requested is not available. At pre-Budget report (PBR) 2007, HMRC published 'Developing Methodologies for Measuring Direct Tax Losses'. This included an estimate of the proportion of those receiving an income tax self assessment tax return (individuals, partnerships and trusts) who had understated their tax liability for each of 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2001-02. It can be found on the internet at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/pbr2007/mdtl-direct.pdf.

Intimidation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases of bullying have been reported in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies in each of the last 12 months.

Angela Eagle: The Debt Management Office, Government Actuary's Department and National Savings and Investments have had no reported cases of bullying over the last 12 months.
	HM Treasury, Office for National Statistics, Office of Government Commerce, OGC Buying Solutions, Royal Mint and the Valuation Office Agency have reported five cases or fewer but are unable to provide a further breakdown in order to avoid the possibility of identification of individuals.
	The following table identifies the number of cases reported at HMRC. The figures do not reflect the outcomes of investigations that may have taken place.
	
		
			  Department/Agency: HM Revenue and Customs 
			   Number 
			 January (1) 
			 February (1) 
			 March 8 
			 April (1) 
			 May 13 
			 June 11 
			 July 8 
			 August 7 
			 September 9 
			 October 16 
			 November 9 
			 December 13 
			 (1) Fewer than 5 cases

Lone Parents

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many working age lone parents his Department estimates live in each region in the UK, broken down by sex.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 7 February 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the number of lone parents of working age living in each region of the UK. (184848)
	The information requested is given in the table overleaf. The figures in the table are estimates from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) for the three month period ending in
	June of 2007.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Number of working age( 1)  lone parents with dependent children( 2)  by region and sex, April to June 2007, not seasonally adjusted 
			  Thousand 
			   Lone fathers  Lone mothers  All lone parents 
			 North-east 8 77 85 
			 North-west 19 220 239 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 13 136 149 
			 East midlands 13 106 118 
			 West midlands 17 159 176 
			 Eastern 10 137 146 
			 London 16 278 294 
			 South-east 19 185 204 
			 South-west 13 113 126 
			 Wales 8 92 100 
			 Scotland 18 141 159 
			 Northern Ireland 3 48 51 
			 
			 United Kingdom 156 1,692 1,848 
			 (1) Men aged 16 to 64 and women aged 16 to 59. (2) Dependent children are those aged under 16 and those aged or 16-18 who are never-married and in full-time education.  Notes: 1. Figures at this detailed level are produced from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) microdata which are weighted to the population estimates published by ONS in spring 2003. They do not incorporate the more recent population estimates used in the headline LFS series. 2. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.  Source: Labour Force Survey household dataset

Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) median employment income and  (b) value of each (i) decile boundary and (ii) quartile boundary in employment income was in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 7 February 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question asking what the  (a) median employment income and  (b) value of each (i) decile boundary and (ii) quartile boundary in employment income was in the most recent year for which figures are available. (185238)
	Levels of earnings, including medians, deciles and quartiles, are estimated from the annual survey of hours and earnings (ASHE), and are provided for employees on adult rates of pay, whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. The ASHE, carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom.
	ASHE results for 2007 can be obtained on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/ashe

Revenue and Customs: Data Protection

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  on what date contract terms were agreed with consultants for work in relation to the Poynter Review;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 23 January 2008,  Official Report, column 2098W, on Revenue and Customs: data protection, on what date the decision was taken to appoint Kieran Poynter to head the review;
	(3)  how many other candidates were considered to head the review;
	(4)  on what terms Kieran Poynter was contracted to head the review of data handling in HM Revenue and Customs;
	(5)  on what date the decision was taken to conduct a review into security processes and procedures for data handling in HM Revenue and Customs.

Angela Eagle: The Chancellor announced the appointment of Kieran Poynter to review of HMRC data handling procedures in his statement to the House on 20 November. It would be inappropriate to disclose details of the selection process.
	Following this statement, HM Treasury entered into a contract with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) who are supporting Kieran Poynter in delivering the Review. The contract is commercially confidential.

Revenue and Customs: Postal Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1962W, on Revenue and Customs: postal services, what proportion of non-recorded post was made up of bulk mail in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2007-08 to date.

Angela Eagle: The proportion of non-recorded post made up of bulk mail is as follows:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 2005-06 70.6 
			 2006-07 72.7 
			 2007-08 to date (December 2007) 76.9 
		
	
	Bulk mail covers any item of outward mail for which there is an element of pre-sorting or is dispatched from one of HMRC's major distribution or processing centres, i.e. self assessment tax returns sent to customers for completion.

Sexual Harassment

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints of ( a) sexual harassment and  (b) sexual discrimination have been made by staff in (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: The figures for 2007 are:
	
		
			  Department/agency  Number of sexual harassment cases  Number of sexual discrimination cases 
			 HMT 0 0 
			 HMRC 9 11 
			 ONS 0 5 
			 OGC 0 0 
			 OGCBS 0 0 
			 GAD 0 0 
			 VGA 5 5 
			 Royal Mint 0 0 
			 NS and I 0 0 
			 DMO 0 0 
			 Key:  = less than  Note: When the number is less than five, the exact number cannot be disclosed on grounds of confidentiality.

Skin Cancer

Si�n James: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer amongst what  (a) age ranges and  (b) social classes the incidence rates for malignant melanoma increased most rapidly in the latest period for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 7 February 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking amongst what (a) age ranges and (b) social class the incidence rates for malignant melanoma have increased most rapidly in the last period for which figures are available.
	The most recent available incidence rates for melanoma of skin, by (a) age ranges for England, are for 2005. They are available in a first release on the National Statistics website:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=7720
	Age-specific rates for England for 1995-2004 are published in the Annual Reference Volume, Cancer statistics: Registrations (Series MB1) available on the National Statistics website at:
	http;//www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=8843Pos=1ColRank=2Rank=272
	Graphs showing age-specific incidence rates for malignant melanoma of skin in England and Wales by sex for 1971-1997 can be found in Chapter 13 of 'Cancer Trends in England and Wales 1950-1999'. This publication and data updates for incidence trends to 2001, are available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=4822
	The latest available incidence rates for melanoma of skin by socio-economic deprivation for patients diagnosed in 1988-1993 in England and Wales were published in 2001: Quinn M et al. (2001) 'Cancer Trends in England and Wales, 1950-1999'. Studies in Medical and Population Subjects No.66. London: The Stationery Office. This is available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Productasp?vlnk=4822

Skin Cancer

Si�n James: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the incidence rate was for malignant melanoma in the latest period for which figures are available; and what assessment he has made of trends in such rates over the last 30 years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 7 February 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the incidence rates were for malignant melanoma in the last period for which figures are available; and what assessment has been made of trends in such rates over the last 30 years,
	The most recent available incidence rates for malignant melanoma of skin for England are for 2005. They are available in a first release on the National Statistics website:
	http://www.statististics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=7720
	Incidence rates for malignant melanoma of skin for 2004 and earlier are published in the Annual Reference Volume, Cancer statistics: Registrations (Series MB1) available on the National Statistics website:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=8843Pos=1ColRank=2Rank=272
	'Cancer Trends in England and Wales 1950-1999', and updates for incidence trends to 2001, are available on the National Statistics website:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=4822
	Directly age-standardised rates of malignant melanoma of skin, by sex, from 1976-2005 are given in the table below.
	
		
			  Incidence rates( 1)  of malignant melanoma of skin( 2) , by sex, England, 1976-2005 
			   Males  Females 
			 1976 2.4 4.2 
			 1977 2.4 4.1 
			 1978 2.6 4.3 
			 1979 2.8 4.8 
			 1980 3.0 5.0 
			 1981 3.3 5.5 
			 1982 3.3 5.8 
			 1983 3.6 6.1 
			 1984 3.5 6.1 
			 1985 4.6 7.7 
			 1986 4.7 7.4 
			 1987 5.3 8.4 
			 1988 6.3 9.1 
			 1989 5.7 8.5 
			 1990 6.2 7.7 
			 1991 6.1 7.9 
			 1992 6.7 8.8 
			 1993 7.7 9.9 
			 1994 7.6 9.8 
			 1995 7.8 10.1 
			 1996 7.9 9.8 
			 1997 8.6 10.1 
			 1998 8.8 10.1 
			 1999 8.8 10.4 
			 2000 10.0 11.4 
			 2001 10.6 12.3 
			 2002 11.0 12.5 
			 2003 11.2 12.8 
			 2004 12.1 13.6 
			 2005 13.2 14.5 
			 (1) Directly age-standardised rates per 100,000 population. (2) Malignant melanoma of skin is defined as code C43 in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) and 172 in ICD8 and 9.  Source: Office for National Statistics

Smuggling: Tobacco

David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the major brands of smuggled hand-rolled tobacco seized were in each of the last five years for which data is available;
	(2)  what proportion, by weight, of the smuggled hand-rolling tobacco seized was  (a) industry manufactured and  (b) counterfeit in each of the last five years for which data is available;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of the smuggled UK cigarette market made up of counterfeit brands in each of the last five years for which data is available.

Angela Eagle: In each of the last five years, the major brands of hand-rolling tobacco seized by HMRC have been Cutters Choice, Drum, Golden Virginia, Old Holborn, Raw, Samson and The Turner.
	From 2003-05 HMRC seizures of hand-rolling tobacco over 10Okgs were analysed, of which approximately 87 per cent. by weight was industry manufactured and 13 per cent. was counterfeit.
	From October 2006 to December 2007, HMRC seizures of hand-rolling tobacco over 50 kgs were analysed, of which approximately 86 per cent. by weight was industry manufactured and 14 per cent. was counterfeit.
	Although HMRC do not routinely estimate the counterfeit share of the illicit cigarette market, they do publish in HMRC's annual report their own analysis of the provenance of large cigarette seizures (individual seizures in excess of 100,000 sticks). This information explains the proportion of such seizures found to be counterfeit and the principal non-counterfeit brands seized.

Tax Avoidance

Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of people who will be affected in each parliamentary constituency by the proposed amendments to income shifting legislation proposed in the consultation document of 6 December 2007.

Angela Eagle: No such estimates have been made. Whole economy estimates of the number of businesses that will be affected by the proposed new income shifting legislation are published in the consultation stage impact assessment in Annex C of the consultation document.

Taxation: Aviation

Graham Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times he, his Ministers or his officials have met representatives of  (a) Friends of the Earth, ( b) Greenpeace,  (c) the World Wildlife Fund,  (d) AirportWatch,  (e) the Aviation Environment Federation,  (f) HACAN Clearskies,  (g) Stop Stansted Expansion,  (h) Plane Stupid,  (i) the Council for the Protection of Rural England,  (j) the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds,  (k) the Woodland Trust and  (l) Enoughsenough to discuss issues related to (i) the sustainable growth and (ii) environmental taxation of aviation in the UK since 2007.

Angela Eagle: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
	However, section D1 of the Government's consultation document on aviation duty published on 31 January lists a number of organisations which had been part of the informal consultation process prior to publication. We welcome representations from all organisations in response to the consultation document which may be viewed at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/Consultations_and_ Legislation/consult_index.cfm.

Taxation: Business

Ben Chapman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer after what period of time HM Revenue and Customs sends reminders to companies informing them of their obligation to send belated payments of tax.

Angela Eagle: The main company taxes are corporation tax and VAT. In addition, companies are required to pay to HMRC PAYE and national insurance contributions deducted from their employees' remuneration, and in some cases to make these payments on behalf of their employees.
	Each tax is administered under different legislation and, as such, the timing of reminders for payment for each duty may differ. Comprehensive guidance for companies required to make payments is available on the HM Revenue and Customs website and is accessible at:
	www.hmrc.co.uk.

Taxation: Business

Ben Chapman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what mechanisms are in place to prevent the resending of tax late payment reminders to companies who have paid.

Angela Eagle: HMRC processes payments and updates customers' accounts within 24 hours of receiving them in the vast majority of cases.
	In a small number of cases, we are unable to credit customers' accounts immediately, usually because the payment is received with insufficient information.
	In such cases the payments are allocated to a suspense account while inquiries are made to establish the account or record that is to be credited. Where such a payment is made on the due date for the tax, it is therefore possible that a reminder will be issued while the payment is in the suspense account.
	Every payment application or notice to pay issued by HMRC carries full 'How to pay' guidance. This clearly sets out the information needed to allocate payments correctly. An expanded version of this guidance is available on the HMRC website and is accessible on
	www.hmrc.co.uk.
	Any customer who is having difficulty with a particular payment method can phone the payment helpline for advice.

Taxation: Self-Assessment

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people did not return their tax returns on 31 January 2007; and how much was  (a) imposed and  (b) received in resultant fines.

Angela Eagle: 1,007,012 taxpayers did not file self assessment returns by 31 January 2007. It is not possible to derive the amount of penalties imposed because penalties are capped to the amount of tax due where that is less than the penalty. The final amount received is not yet available.

Taxation: Self-Assessment

Christopher Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects that the technical problem on the HM Revenue and Customs computer system, preventing conclusion of the 2004-05 tax credits claim of Mr. Marshall of Ferndown, will be resolved; what the nature of the problem is; how many claimants are similarly affected; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: Tax Credit Office sent a further letter to the hon. Member about his constituent's tax credits claim on 6 February 2008.

Taxation: Self-Assessment

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people did not submit a tax return before the 31 January deadline when required to in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The number of people with self assessment tax returns outstanding at 31 January since 1997 is shown in the following table
	
		
			   Due date  Thousand 
			 1996-97 31 January 1998 666 
			 1997-98 31 January 1999 820 
			 1998-99 31 January 2000 877 
			 1999-2000 31 January 2001 949 
			 2000-01 31 January 2002 860 
			 2001-02 31 January 2003 875 
			 2002-03 31 January 2004 894 
			 2003-04 31 January 2005 928 
			 2004-05 31 January 2006 879 
			 2005-06 31 January 2007 1,007 
		
	
	The figure for 2006-07 tax returns (due date 31 January 2008) is not yet available.

Unemployment: Wirral

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the working-age population in Wirral borough were unemployed in the last period for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 7 February 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question what percentage of the working age population in Wirral borough were unemployed in the last period for which figures are available. (184963)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	The number of people unemployed, of working age, resident in the Wirral Unitary Authority for the 12 months ending in June 2007 is estimated to have been 10,000, or 5.3 per cent. of the resident working age population.
	This estimate is for a subset of the population in a small geographical area, and is based on small sample sizes. It is therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty.
	ONS also compiles statistics for local areas of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). Table 1, attached, shows the number of people, resident in the Wirral Unitary Authority claiming JSA in December 2007. July 2007 data has also been provided for comparison. The number of claimants is also shown as a percentage of the resident working age population.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of claimants of jobseeker's allowance and proportions of working age population for residents of Wirral unitary authority 
			   Number of claimants  Proportion( 1)  (%) 
			 June 2007 6,171 3.3 
			 December 2007 5,985 3.2 
			 (1) Number of claimants expressed as a percentage of the resident working-age population.

Wines: Imports

Tobias Ellwood: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what restrictions there are on the importation of low alcohol wine from EU Member States; and what plans he has to review such arrangements.

Angela Eagle: Wine with an alcoholic strength of less than 1.2 per cent is not subject to excise duty and consequently there are no restrictions concerning its importation. Wine exceeding this strength is subject to UK excise duty and, although there are no restrictions concerning its importation, there are rules to ensure that the correct amount of excise duty is paid.
	In order to import wine into the UK for commercial purposes, a trader must be an authorised warehousekeeper, a registered excise dealer or shipper (REDS) or follow the rules for occasional importers. In all cases, UK excise duty is due on receipt of the goods, unless they are consigned to an excise warehouse authorised to receive that type of product, in which case they can be stored in duty suspension until they are released for consumption in the UK.
	Wine imported by private individuals is not subject to UK excise duty, provided it is for their own personal use and they personally travel with the goods.
	The European Commission is in the process of reviewing the EU legislation governing the intra-EU movement of excise goods.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Departmental Telephone Services

Robert Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether it is the Government's policy to publish geographic telephone numbers of Government Departments and agencies that use non-geographic numbers for call centres.

Tom Watson: The Central Office of Information (COI) has issued guidance which is available at:
	http://www.coi.gov.uk/documents/gcc-second-edition.pdf
	I have placed a copy in the Library of the House.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Charter of Fundamental Rights

Andrew Selous: To ask the Solicitor-General what assessment the Law Officers' Departments have made of the enforceability of the charter of fundamental rights in the UK under the terms of the Treaty of Lisbon.

Vera Baird: In accordance with the usual convention I cannot comment on whether the Law Officers have been asked to assess the enforceability of the Charter under the Lisbon Treaty but it may be of assistance if I set out the Government's position. Article 1(8)(1) of the Lisbon Treaty gives the Charter of Fundamental Rights the same legal value as the Treaties. The Charter records existing rights, freedoms and principles by which EU member states, including the UK, are already bound when they implement EU law and makes sure that the EU institutions are bound to respect the same rights, freedoms and principles. It does not, and was not intended to, create new rights.

Crown Prosecution Service

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Solicitor-General what discussions the Crown Prosecution Service has had on possible prosecutions for loss of data by the Government in the last six months.

Vera Baird: Should the police investigate the incidents of loss of data and require advice of a general nature or charging advice then the Crown Prosecution Service stand ready to provide it.

Crown Prosecution Service

John Robertson: To ask the Solicitor-General what policy the Crown Prosecution Service has on seeking community sentences.

Vera Baird: Crown prosecutors have a duty to assist the court when sentence is being considered. This may include advising the court about the appropriate sentencing range, having regard to sentencing guidelines. However, Crown prosecutors do not recommend or seek particular sentences, as that is a matter for the court.

Cannabis Factories

Anthony Steen: To ask the Solicitor-General how many  (a) children and  (b) adults found in cannabis factories were prosecuted for drug-related offences in each of the last three years.

Vera Baird: Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) records do not hold information about the location in which an offence was committed. The information may be held on individual case files, but could be retrieved only by locating and examining every relevant file in each CPS office and would incur disproportionate cost (Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, part 2, clause 9).
	The CPS does however hold some information. Tables, which have been placed in the Library show the volume and the proportion of cases falling into the drugs offences category for each of the last three years broken down by defendant type; adult offender and young offender. The tables also show the volume and the proportion of cases resulting in a conviction, and in an unsuccessful outcome.

Rape

Lynda Waltho: To ask the Solicitor-General what steps the Government are taking to improve investigations and prosecutions of cases involving rape.

Vera Baird: Following the consultation, Convicting Rapists and Protecting VictimsJustice for Victims of Rape, the Government propose to allow all victims of rape to rely on their visually-recorded evidence in court, and to look at how general psychological expert evidence could be presented at trial. The Government also propose to legislate to ensure that all complaints of rape made by victims to third parties are admissible as evidence. A cross-government Rape Performance Group monitors the performance of police forces and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) areas in rape cases, intervening to provide guidance where appropriate and reporting to an Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group on Sexual Offending.

SCOTLAND

Capita

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was paid by his Department to Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries in each financial year since 2000; which contracts were awarded by his Department to Capita Group plc in each year from 2000-01 to the most recent available date; what the cost was of each contract; what penalties for default were imposed in contract provisions; what the length was of each contract; whether the contract was advertised; how many companies applied for the contract; how many were short-listed; what criteria were used for choosing a company; what provision was made for renewal without re-tender in each case; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office incurred expenditure of 10,044 with Capita Group plc for a senior civil service assessment centre run on the office's behalf by the Scottish Executive under a pre-existing contract they have with Capita Group plc. The Scotland Office holds no information on the process by which that contract was awarded by the Scottish Executive.

Civil Servants

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many civil service jobs based in the Dundee Westminster parliamentary constituencies related to functions of government reserved under Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act have been  (a) lost and  (b) created since 1997.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 7 February 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question concerning how many civil service jobs based in the Dundee Westminster Parliamentary constituencies related to functions of government reserved under Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act, have been  (a) lost and  (b) created since 1997. (184484)
	Civil service statistics are published annually by the Office for National Statistics on the National Statistics website. The latest published statistics are for September 2006.
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/article.asp?id=1885
	The statistics published include totals for Scotland and more detailed regional analysis can often be carried out on request. However, statistics related to jobs created and lost are not collected.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the  (a) objective and  (b) value was of each contract placed with (i) Deloitte and Touche, (ii) Ernst and Young, (iii) KPMG, (iv) PricewaterhouseCoopers and (v) PA Consulting by his Department in each year since 2004-05.

David Cairns: Since 2004-05, the Scotland Office has only incurred expenditure of 4,230.23 with KPMG in relation to a management review and assessment centre for the Head of Office.

Electoral Register

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many electors there are in each Westminster parliamentary constituency in Scotland based upon the new register of electors as at December 2007.

David Cairns: The statistics on electorate for UK parliamentary elections by constituency is co-ordinated by the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS), who receive information from electoral registration officers based on the registers published in December each year. GROS are due to publish the statistics on electorate based on the December 2007 publication of registers later in February. Electoral registration officers are not required to supply the Government with this information.

Fair Trade Initiative

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his Department's policy is on the use of fair trade goods  (a) in staff catering facilities and  (b) at official departmental functions and meetings; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office does not operate staff catering facilities but when purchasing opportunities arise will look to use fair trade products wherever possible.

Scotland Office

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what functions in his Department are carried out in Scotland; and what the administration costs of these functions were in the last year for which figures are available.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office publishes information on its main activities in its annual report, a copy of which is in the House Library. As some of these activities take place in both Scotland and London, a record separating costs between Scotland and London is not maintained.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Departmental Written Questions

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of questions tabled to his Department in the last Session were unanswered at Prorogation;
	(2)  how many and what percentage of questions tabled to his Department for answer on a named day have received a substantive reply on the day named since establishment of his Department.

David Lammy: The Department's PQ tracking system is currently unable to break down the data requested and to do so would incur disproportionate cost. This Department aims to ensure that Members receive a substantive response to their named day question on the named day, and endeavours to answer ordinary written questions within a working week of being tabled. Unfortunately, this is not always possible but this Department makes every effort to achieve these time scales.

Higher Education: Student Numbers

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  how many  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time (i) students and (ii) mature students enrolled on higher education courses in each year since 2001;
	(2)  when he will respond to question 164207 from the hon. Member for Brent East, tabled on 9 November 2007.

Bill Rammell: The latest available information is shown in the table. Figures for 2006/07 will be available in January 2008.
	
		
			  UK domiciled enrolments by mode of study, level of study and age, English higher education institutions, academic years 2001/02 to 2005/06 
			Postgraduates  Undergraduates 
			  Academic year  Mode of study  Total  Of which: mature( 1)  Total  Of which: mature( 2) 
			 2001/02 Full-time 86,210 43,570 773,515 307,820 
			  Part-time 203,640 187,420 458,080 439,765 
			  Total 289,850 230,985 1,231,595 747,585 
			   
			 2002/03 Full-time 90,595 44,640 803,025 325,205 
			  Part-time 207,165 190,020 473,675 455,300 
			  Total 297,760 234,665 1,276,700 780,505 
			   
			 2003/04 Full-time 93,940 46,120 823,145 335,725 
			  Part-time 212,850 193,955 484,020 464,290 
			  Total 306,785 240,075 1,307,160 800,020 
			   
			 2004/05 Full-time 93,220 45,985 838,145 341,855 
			  Part-time 213,865 194,100 482,300 460,795 
			  Total 307,085 240,085 1,320,445 802,645 
			   
			 2005/06 Full-time 96,845 48,935 865,560 346,655 
			  Part-time 213,920 194,395 484,305 460,125 
			  Total 310,765 243,330 1,349,865 806,785 
			 (1) Mature postgraduates are 25 and over. (2) Mature undergraduates are 21 and over.  Note: The figures are on a HESA standard registration population basis and are rounded to the nearest 5.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Written Questions

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills when he will answer question 175643 tabled by the hon. Member for Angus on 17 December 2007 on student loans.

Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 4 February 2008,  Official Report, column 935W.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Colombia: Drugs

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent support his Department has offered to the government of Colombia in combating the smuggling of illegal drugs across the Colombia-Venezuela border.

Shahid Malik: Preventing the cross-border flow of illicit drugs from Colombia to neighbouring countries is a top priority for the UK's international counter-narcotics efforts. The UK is investing in projects in Colombia and Venezuela to tackle the cross-border flow of illicit drugs. These projects have helped to build capacity amongst Colombian and Venezuelan law enforcement agencies and the judiciary. In addition, funding of a United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime project on cross border co-operation has recently been approved.
	We take a broad regional approach to tackling the trade in illicit drugs, through a mixture of political engagement, capacity building and law enforcement support in producer, transit and consumer countries. This includes working with Governments of other producer and transit countries in Latin America and countries along the main trafficking routes for drugs via the Caribbean and West Africa.

Departmental ICT

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) mobile telephones,  (b) personal digital assistants and  (c) laptop computers issued to departmental staff were reported (i) lost, (ii) missing and (iii) stolen in each year since 2001.

Shahid Malik: Our central records show the number of DFID mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and laptops lost, missing and stolen since 2001 are as follows:
	
		
			   Lost  Missing  Stolen  Total 
			 Mobile Phones 9 0 18 27 
			 PDAs 0 0 2 2 
			 Laptops 3 0 29 32

Departmental ICT

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many of his Department's personal digital assistants were  (a) lost and  (b) stolen in each of the last five years; and what the value of those items was.

Shahid Malik: Our central records show that during the last five years:
	 (a) No personal digital assistants were lost
	 (b) Two personal digital assistants were stolen, with a combined value of 183.45.

Departmental Travel

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on travel  (a) within and  (b) outside the UK for officials in each of the last 10 years; and what percentage of his Department's overall expenditure was spent on such travel in each such year.

Shahid Malik: DFID's total travel expenditure for officials and Ministers for the years 2003-04 onwards is given in the following table with the percentage this represents of the Department's overall expenditure. These figures include the costs of travel, subsistence and accommodation.
	These figures include the cost of ministerial travel as well as travel by officials. The figures also include the costs of all visits and travel including for example travel within the UK, from overseas to the UK, as well as from the UK to overseas. It is not possible to separate out the costs of travel within the UK and travel outside the UK without incurring disproportionate cost.
	In 2003-04 DFID introduced new procedures to draw together all administration costs including those travel costs which had previously been recorded on the programme budget. Information from 2001-02 to 2002-03 is given but is therefore not directly comparable with later years. Information from earlier years is not readily available.
	
		
			   Travel Spend (000)  Percentage of overall expenditure 
			 2001-02 2,358 0.10 
			 2002-03 2,645 0.09 
			 2003-04 10,677 0.37 
			 2004-05 13,337 0.41 
			 2005-06 12,646 0.32 
			 2006-07 12,128 0.26 
		
	
	All official travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules contained in DFID's Staff Handbook and complies with the Civil Service Management Code.

Departmental Visits Abroad

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many overseas visits by officials in his Department took place in each of the last 10 years; which countries were visited; and how much was spent on such visits in each such year.

Shahid Malik: DFID's total travel expenditure for officials and Ministers for the years 2003-04 onwards is given in the following table. These figures include the costs of travel, subsistence and accommodation.
	These figures include the cost of ministerial visits as well as those by officials. The figures also include the costs of all visits and travel, including for example visits taking place within the UK, from overseas to the UK, as well as overseas visits. It is not possible to separate out the costs of overseas visits specifically without incurring disproportionate cost.
	In 2003-04 DFID introduced new procedures to draw together all administration costs including those travel costs which had previously been recorded on the programme budget. Information from 2001-02 to 2002-03 is given but is therefore not directly comparable with later years. Information from earlier years is not readily available.
	
		
			   Travel Spend (000) 
			 2001-02 2,358 
			 2002-03 2,645 
			 2003-04 10,677 
			 2004-05 13,337 
			 2005-06 12,646 
			 2006-07 12,128 
		
	
	All official travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules contained in DFID's Staff Handbook and complies with the Civil Service Management Code.

Developing Countries: Disaster Relief

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid was provided to assist developing countries in the wake of natural emergencies and disasters in each of the last three years.

Gareth Thomas: DFID provided the following amounts towards assisting developing countries cope with the effects of natural emergencies and disasters (excluding conflict-related spending):
	
		
			  Financial year   
			 2004-05, excluding Africa 67,622,537 
			 2005-06, excluding Africa 54,767,318 
			 2006-07, including Africa 22,664,112 
			 2007-08 so far, including Africa 32,735,315 
		
	
	It is not possible to disaggregate figures for natural disasters only (from conflict-related figures) for Africa before the financial year 2006-07.

Intimidation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many cases of bullying have been reported in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies in each of the last 12 months.

Gillian Merron: DFID has had less than five complaints of bullying reported in the last 12 months. DFID's only agency, the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission, does not employ any staff.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he expects to answer the letter to him dated 21 December 2007, from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. S. Smith.

Douglas Alexander: The reply to my right hon. Friend's letter of 21 December 2007 has been issued.

Pacific Islands: EU Aid

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which countries in the Pacific have received UK aid via the EU in each of the last five years; and how much each country received.

Shahid Malik: EU support for Pacific countries is financed from the European development fund. The UK share of the EDF from 2001 to 2005 was 12.69 per cent. Details of the UK's imputed official development assistance provided via the EU to countries and territories in the Pacific over the last five years are laid out in the following table.
	
		
			  Table 1: Imputed UK share of EC official development assistance (ODA), 2001 to 2005 
			  000 
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Cook Is.   45 82  
			 Fiji -111 -65 312 1,515 1 380 
			 French Polynesia 594 131 938 464  
			 Kiribati 31 72 212 260 293 
			 Marshall Is.  
			 FS Micronesia  
			 Nauru  
			 New Caledonia -73 51 4 992  
			 Niue 43 
			 Northern Mariana Is.  
			 Palau  
			 Papua New Guinea 379 411 254 540 884 
			 Samoa 839 468 132 131 198 
			 Solomon Is. 2,776 339 382 221 1,589 
			 Tokelau  
			 Tonga -65 4 163 255 193 
			 Tuvalu 111 26  175 200 
			 Vanuatu 384 348 295 192 388 
			 Wallis and Futuna  4 148 90 26 
			 Oceania Unspecified 58 318 873 1,138 741 
			  Note: Negatives figures represent accounting adjustments, not a net flow to the UK.

Rwanda: Economic Situation

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government has taken to assist the Rwandan government in achieving economic development.

Gillian Merron: Over the last 10 years the UK has provided 380 million of development assistance to fund the recovery of Rwanda from the legacy of the 1994 genocide. With the help of this support Rwanda has experienced strong economic growth with an annual average of around 7 per cent. Poverty rates have also fallen from 74 per cent. in 1994 to 57 per cent. in 2007. This year, DFID expects to provide 46 million, of which 33 million will be direct budget support to the government, much of this to be directed towards supporting and accelerating economic growth.
	In addition, DFID is contributing 3 million to the implementation of the Agricultural Transformation Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources. This is designed to stimulate the economic prosperity of the rural population and improve their living conditions within a modernised agricultural sector.
	DFID is also directly supporting the Government of Rwanda (GoR) to implement large scale land reforms to encourage the best use of land and protect people's ownership rights. This is a fundamental part of economic development and helps to provide a more stable economic environment which encourages individual investment.
	Finally, at the request of the GoR, DFID together with the World Bank and the Africa Development Bank, has initiated detailed growth analysis work. This will focus on sustaining and increasing economic growth rates by identifying constraints to growth and developing prioritised actions to address these.

Sexual Harassment

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many complaints of  (a) sexual harassment and  (b) sexual discrimination have been made by staff in (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Gillian Merron: DFID has had one complaint of sexual harassment reported and no complaints of sexual discrimination reported in the last 12 months. DFID's only agency, the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission, does not employ any staff.

Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of  (a) the co-ordination of agencies engaged in protection activities in Darfur and  (b) the effectiveness of such agencies in providing protection for civilians.

Meg Munn: I have been asked to reply.
	We have not yet assessed the effectiveness of the co-ordination of civilian protection in Darfur following the assumption of peacekeeping authority by the African Union-UN hybrid mission (UNAMID) on 31 December, as many of the relevant structures and personnel are not yet in place. UNAMID is mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 1769 to protect civilians, which it will carry out in co-ordination with other UN agencies and non-governmental humanitarian organisations.
	Prior to 31 December 2007, UNMIS (the UN Mission in Sudan set up to support implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement between North and South Sudan) contributed towards civilian protection in Darfur through information-gathering and sharing with the African Union peacekeeping mission in Sudan and humanitarian agencies. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organisation for Migration also delivered civilian protection in Darfur.
	Former UNMIS staff now work for UNAMID, which will include a civilian element of approximately 5,000 staff when fully established. UNAMID has appointed Humanitarian Affairs Officers to co-ordinate with the UN agencies and non-governmental humanitarian organisations. We are monitoring this transition.

Yemen: Overseas Aid

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much UK development funding was given to Yemen in 2007; on what dates funding was provided; what plans there are to fund development projects in Yemen in 2008; on what dates that funding will be provided; and what plans there are for the funding of development projects in Yemen in the 10 years after 2008.

Shahid Malik: In the calendar year 2007, DFID bilateral aid to Yemen was 12,383,756. The disbursement dates are as follows:
	
		
			
			 January - March 1,682,020 
			 April - June 2,657,776 
			 July - September 4,427,616 
			 October - December 3,616,344 
		
	
	We are currently unable to provide figures for total UK development funding to Yemen in 2007, which includes UK contributions to multilateral institutions, as these figures have not yet been published.
	In financial year 2008-09, DFID's bilateral budget to Yemen will be 20 million. DFID is in the process of finalising the Department's specific commitments to Yemen for the remainder of calendar year 2008. Based on expenditure so far in 2008 and current programme plans for the remainder of 2008, we expect overall spend for calendar year 2008 to be 21.2 million, broken down as follows:
	
		
			million 
			 Education 5.6 
			 Good Governance 4 
			 Judicial reforms 0.65 
			 Social Fund for Development 7.8 
			 Health Care 0.75 
			 Water and Sanitation 1.8 
			 Emergency relief, Saada 0.6 
		
	
	In 2006, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for International Development decided to progressively increase the Department's assistance to Yemen from 12 million in 2007-08 to 50 million in 2010-11. During my visit to Yemen in August 2007, I signed a 10-year Development Partnership Arrangement with the Deputy Prime Minister of Yemen and Minister for Planning and International Co-operation. This confirmed the UK's long-term commitment to support Yemen achieve its development priorities. This arrangement also set out our financing commitments to Yemen for the financial years 2007-08 to 2010-11.
	We wish to maximise the impact of DFID's additional resources for Yemen. We are therefore focusing our efforts in a small number of strategic areas. This includes expanding our support to existing programmes in education, justice and policing, public financial management and the social fund for development. We are also planning to expand into a small number of new areas we believe are critical to promoting Yemen's prosperity and stability. For example, we approved in January 2008 an initial 500,000 of support to a programme to simplify business tax policy and processes. This will improve the prospects for growth of the private sector in Yemen and also increase tax revenues for the Government of Yemen to increase its fiscal stability. We are also exploring possible support to the water sector in Yemen to help the country address its looming water crisis.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Animal Welfare: Protest

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will introduce a dedicated scheme to compensate victims of crimes committed by animal rights extremists.

Meg Hillier: The Government have no plans to introduce a scheme to compensate victims of crimes committed by animal rights extremists. We are committed to eradicating the threat of animal rights extremism which is backed up by a robust interdepartmental strategy centred on an improved law enforcement approach. That strategy has helped to deliver a sharp fall in animal rights extremist activity and an increase in the number of animal rights extremists brought to justice.

Antisocial Behaviour: Crime Prevention

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to publish a qualitative assessment of the effectiveness of antisocial behaviour interventions.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office has commissioned research to examine regional variations in the use of antisocial behaviour interventions. This is the first step to developing further work into the comparative effectiveness of different approaches to tackling antisocial behaviour. The first stage of the research into regional variations will be completed by summer 2008. We anticipate that the second stage will be completed by late 2009.

Arrests: Anabolic Steroids

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were  (a) cautioned, arrested and convicted of supplying anabolic steroids in England and Wales in 2006.

Vernon Coaker: The Ministry of Justice confirm that one offender was cautioned for supplying anabolic steroids in England and Wales in 2006 and that there were no convictions for this offence in 2006. Information on arrests for such offences is not available centrally.

Circumcision: Females

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance she has issued to the police on charging those suspected of carrying out female circumcision.

Vernon Coaker: Guidance for the police on effectively responding to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is contained within the Association of Chief Police Officers' Guidance on Investigating Child Abuse and Safeguarding Children, issued in March 2005. Further guidance on dealing with suspected cases of FGM is available to the police, and to other agencies with responsibility for safeguarding children, in Working Together to Safeguard Children, the main multi-agency guidance on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, issued in 2006.
	These pieces of guidance build upon a Home Office Circular on the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003, issued to police forces in 2004, which aimed to raise awareness of the cultural context within which FGM is perpetrated, and also to advise the police that it is unacceptable to leave suspected cases of FGM un-investigated, as to do so could send out a message that this harmful practice is somehow acceptable. It is not, and it is right that perpetrators should be subject to criminal sanction.
	Charging alleged offenders is the responsibility of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The CPS has incorporated FGM into its Policy for Prosecuting Cases of Domestic Violence, which is disseminated to all prosecutors and is accompanied by a modular training package which will be rolled out to all CPS areas by the end of 2008.

Crime: Drugs

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what quantities of class A drugs were seized by  (a) the Concerted Inter-Agency Drug Action group in 2005-06 and  (b) the Serious and Organised Crime Agency in 2006-07.  [Official Report, 20 March 2008, Vol. 473, c. 10MC.]

Vernon Coaker: Information on the quantities of Class A drugs seized by the Concerted Inter-Agency Drug Action Group in 2005-06 is contained in HM Revenue and Customs 2005-06 Annual Report:
	Heroin: 2,218kg
	Cocaine: 15,341kg
	Details of drug interdictions flowing from the Serious Organised Crime Agency's work are provided in SOCA's 2006-07 Annual Report:
	Heroin: 73 tonnes
	Cocaine: 1.5 tonnes

Crime: Internet

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate she has made of levels of e-crime.

Vernon Coaker: The Government prosecute all crimes based on illegal actions and not the medium used. As such, all legislation criminalises offences regardless of whether they were committed on or off line and so there are no estimated levels of e-crime.
	However, APACS estimate that total losses for online banking fraud amounted to 33.5 million in 2006. With regard to card fraud there were 154.5 million in losses over the internet during 2006 up by 32 per cent. from 2005 when internet losses were 117.0 million. (These losses are where people have been defrauded on their cards during a transaction over the internetrather than the online banking losses which are attributable to phishing or Trojans).

Genetics: Databases

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 83-84W, on genetics: databases, how many of the 22,700 people who voluntarily provided a DNA sample were later  (a) arrested and  (b) charged with an offence before the decision was made to retain their sample on the national database.

Meg Hillier: This information is not held centrally.
	'Volunteer' samples may be requested from victims of crime, persons who may have had legitimate access to a crime scene, or from individuals in relation to an intelligence-led screen of a particular subgroup of the population from which an offender is thought to come, for elimination purposes in the investigation of a specific offence. The individual concerned must provide written consent for the sample to be taken. Volunteer subject sample profiles are only added to the national DNA database (NDNAD) where the individual has also given separate written consent for their profile to be loaded and retained on the NDNAD. In practice, only a relatively small proportion of volunteer subject sample profiles are added to the NDNAD.

Human Trafficking

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been  (a) arrested and  (b) convicted for offences relating to human trafficking in (i) Leicester and (ii) the East Midlands in the last four years.

Vernon Coaker: In the last four years there have been 27 arrests and five convictions in the East Midlands area for human trafficking offences. Of these 14 arrests and four convictions have been in Leicestershire.

Immigration

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  pursuant to the letter from the Minister for Immigration to the hon. Member for Thurrock dated 4 February 2008, why the presenting officer was not in a position to provide a copy of the Department's letter of 27 August 1998 to the constituent of the hon. Member for Thurrock at the constituent's appeal hearing on 16 October 2007; why there was no original copy on file; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  whether the contents or substance of the letter from the Minister for Immigration of 4 February 2008 to the hon. Member for Thurrock were made available to the presiding judge at the hon. Member for Thurrock's constituent's appeal hearing on 31 January 2008;
	(3)  why the letter of response to the hon. Member for Thurrock from the Minister for Immigration dated 4 February 2008 was not dispatched as requested in question 180894 prior to the hon. Member for Thurrock's constituent's appeal hearing on 31 January 2008; and if she will make a statement.

Meg Hillier: I wrote to my hon. Friend on 7 February 2008.

Passports: Sexual Offences

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will consider revoking the passports in certain circumstances of convicted paedophiles on the Sex Offenders Register who wish to leave the country.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Secretary has the discretion to revoke a passport, but this is reserved for use in the most exceptional circumstances.
	However, under sections 114-117 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, a chief officer of police may apply for a Foreign Travel Order to prevent a person who has been convicted of or cautioned for a sexual offence specified in section 116 of the 2003 Act against a child under 16 from travelling either to a particular country or to any country, if the offender has acted since his conviction in such a way as to give reasonable cause to believe that it is necessary for such an order to be made. The court may make the order if it considers it necessary for the purpose of protecting children generally or any child in particular from serious sexual harm from the offender outside the UK.
	Such an order does not compel an offender to surrender his passport, but breach of a Foreign Travel Order, without reasonable excuse, is a criminal offence, and the penalty on indictment is up to five years' imprisonment.

Proceeds of Crime

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 212-16W, on proceeds of crime, what proportion of confiscation orders were fully enforced in each police force area in each of the last 12 months.

Vernon Coaker: The information is not available in the form requested. Confiscation orders enforced in a given period do not precisely match orders made in the same period, as the court may allow the defendant time for payment. The table shows the total value of confiscation orders enforced in each of the 12 months ending December 2007 from orders previously obtained by each police force in England and Wales, against criminals involved in drug crime. The figures in the tables exclude amounts enforced in respect of compensation ordered to be paid from the confiscation orders and amounts paid out in respect of receivers' costs.
	
		
			  2007 
			   
			   January  February  March  April  May  June 
			 Avon and Somerset Constabulary 92,457.85 20,158.17 62,836.29 14,336.91 51,132.24 79,661.33 
			 Bedfordshire Police 659.77 3,895.63 11,543.33 10,359.09 19,177.94 1,155.00 
			 Cambridgeshire Constabulary 5,864.32 4,644.68 51,742.94 23,560.84 10,895.49 25,720.34 
			 Cheshire Constabulary 675.00 5,435.00 31,791.18 132,639.06 4,135.00 5,683.59 
			 City of London Police 190.00 7.75 19,800.00 148,377.39 82,718.38 0.00 
			 Cleveland Police 1,078.28 348,478.82 3,339.91 2,240.20 100,780.79 4,580.97 
			 Cumbria Constabulary 3,106.00 2,520.00 3,934.00 2,167.59 11,494.42 439.00 
			 Derbyshire Constabulary 11,256.09 6,346.30 45,111.36 120,786.84 17,865.50 3,133.22 
			 Devon and Cornwall Constabulary 560,299.51 24,160.69 831.41 1,300.55 599.45 4,130.00 
			 Dorset Police 6,777.42 1,383.94 36,266.82 11,629.97 452.30 3,518.14 
			 Durham Constabulary 29,815.38 410.00 2,395.00 5,382.15 7,478.88 45,871.41 
			 Dyfed-Powys Police 17.00 16,622.46 538.80 7,926.85 3,065.00 60,625.00 
			 Essex Police 5,114.16 2,842.06 5,196.69 3,798.26 1,803.00 57,732.60 
			 Gloucestershire Constabulary 41,637.56 90,720.80 11,385.80 7,330.12 4,867.46 215.97 
			 Greater Manchester Police 22,576.98 55,769.69 50,917.75 88,835.14 33,180.93 253,698.59 
			 Gwent Police 99.32 366.23 2,392.22 2,694.34 330,588.80 2,818.49 
			 Hampshire Constabulary 16,860.33 4,677.00 7,211.38 6,146.00 850.00 3,141.44 
			 Hertfordshire Constabulary 197,941.87 75.00 4,739.31 20.00 11,058.08 45,917.69 
			 Humberside Police 8,098.93 7,604.68 6,215.87 13,340.00 4,271 .90 40,848.20 
			 Kent Police 1,050.17 31,960.25 3,855.49 10,412.75 34,891 .82 2,321 .27 
			 Lancashire Constabulary 284,878.06 59,739.03 143,266.94 50,098.03 126,911.63 20,330.82 
			 Leicestershire Constabulary 18,709.46 13,452.90 25,052.90 1.00 25,046.11 110,568.21 
			 Lincolnshire Police 3,385.00 2,381.81 1,855.76 12,208.00 1,308.93 113,116.45 
			 Merseyside Police 11,564.57 118,586.56 123,234.48 485,450.05 115,648.65 131,891.71 
			 Metropolitan Police Service 372,277.96 530,110.98 381 ,329.85 215,117.46 206,843.52 294,905.59 
			 Norfolk Constabulary 12,072.29 42.96 6,507.43 350.00 9,375.72 21,885.15 
			 North Wales Police 1,120.00 280.00 9,856.38 1,335.49 44,330.00 2,575.50 
			 North Yorkshire Police 0.00 32,707.84 20,551.90 0.00 21,762.52 14,851.81 
			 Northamptonshire Police 87,160.62 56.00 20,663.12 56.00 966.00 4,324.54 
			 Northumbria Police 2,056.72 11,941.24 31,376.19 1,881.53 14,713.47 232,161.71 
			 Nottinghamshire Police 2,313.17 72,605.47 13,465.20 12,881.05 49,284.77 2,865.33 
			 South Wales Police 68,064.71 54,403.05 87,324.77 6,551 .78 15,266.81 17,656.63 
			 South Yorkshire Police 30,496.84 12,211.53 50,119.37 76,393.77 15,266.89 4,261.72 
			 Staffordshire Police 72,116.44 231 .60 35,587.28 14,983.17 5,479.06 2,755.09 
			 Suffolk Constabulary 5,064.46 4,977.17 1,484.14 20,424.93 12,253.44 15,558.14 
			 Surrey Police 3,370.00 200.00 3,440.00 0.00 690.00 4,961.93 
			 Sussex Police 24,715.55 32,865.46 86,281 .91 40,821.18 9,004.85 10,960.38 
			 Thames Valley Police 9,025.37 10,303.26 23,112.05 17,150.09 108,373.34 65,753.11 
			 Warwickshire Police 50.00 270.00 0.00 1,201.16 1,000.00 0.00 
			 West Mercia Constabulary 3,251.76 13,179.81 1,673.00 2,763.27 823.00 3,576.49 
			 West Midlands Police 18,555.25 57,862.64 46,231.42 7,141.00 3,949.18 110,456.97 
			 West Yorkshire Police 236,364.44 22,916.54 206,792.30 119,470.90 104,248.31 78,941.65 
			 Wiltshire Constabulary 9,840.29 469.86 1,170.52 60.00 3,519.95 28,707.09 
		
	
	
		
			   
			   July  August  September  October  November  December 
			 Avon and Somerset Constabulary 238,288.62 3,796.37 22,377.65 34,191.76 84,292.97 12,108.52 
			 Bedfordshire Police 4,326.94 570.24 15,569.05 20,612.76 10,311.06 2,572.87 
			 Cambridgeshire Constabulary 6,276.97 10,934.97 11,568.06 15,854.40 20,866.18 107,909.69 
			 Cheshire Constabulary 66,488.92 55,728.37 3,987.00 7,226.00 14,310.00 29,637.97 
			 City of London Police 42.79 0.00 0.00 1,523.97 0.00 0.00 
			 Cleveland Police 885.52 2,089.77 50.00 2,455.23 1,630.00 1,767.50 
			 Cumbria Constabulary 17,479.25 16,635.24 36,864.67 1,157.50 8,925.28 775.00 
			 Derbyshire Constabulary 4,197.83 40,625.72 3,579.00 607.10 12,285.48 9,983.58 
			 Devon and Cornwall Constabulary 800,473.96 10,601.98 60.00 5,536.50 2,381.50 12,360.76 
			 Dorset Police 8,212.70 825.75 162,291.50 135,696.56 2,862.63 28.89 
			 Durham Constabulary 1,520.43 100.00 8,178.00 2,801.64 4,961 .85 41,250.51 
			 Dyfed-Powys Police 25,633.44 16,957.55 5,837.11 3,735.56 4,000.00 4,219.71 
			 Essex Police 14,517.09 28,525.83 2,403.00 3,400.81 36,566.00 9,634.05 
			 Gloucestershire Constabulary 14,080.34 2,646.63 2,440.05 53,601.81 -8,982.09 16,000.36 
			 Greater Manchester Police 147,306.91 163,675.57 95,013.14 142,553.62 36,409.66 319,921.13 
			 Gwent Police 23,696.55 9,633.11 35,078.93 134,577.47 15,068.49 1,430.00 
			 Hampshire Constabulary 41,162.93 58,588.64 9,469.35 5,576.71 19,571.00 33,347.23 
			 Hertfordshire Constabulary 64,546.29 72,913.52 693.21 105.00 114,945.30 278.86 
			 Humberside Police 44,942.70 30,402.54 518,446.31 29,475.58 10,306.00 43,508.55 
			 Kent Police 44,514.34 17,566.24 153,004.55 166,586.26 56,191.51 179,712.86 
			 Lancashire Constabulary 8,943.01 48,082.53 22,380.93 6,343.40 16,078.00 2,238.11 
			 Leicestershire Constabulary 8,098.55 792.46 7,862.43 21,871.64 1,302.30 14,511.50 
			 Lincolnshire Police 2,199.90 920.00 451 .00 0.00 247.50 7,128.80 
			 Merseyside Police 363,187.00 58,327.17 246,441.55 49,554.94 63,285.64 48,225.30 
			 Metropolitan Police Service 349,601.43 108,125.96 464,149.47 708,693.98 176,086.52 160,354.95 
			 Norfolk Constabulary 27,178.71 108,292.53 1,583.45 10,933.80 35,637.40 37,271 .29 
			 North Wales Police 3,705.00 8,737.92 18,066.78 20,628.60 2,485.00 22,054.23 
			 North Yorkshire Police 10,692.13 6,934.67 16,302.84 21,704.13 4,078.96 1,642.86 
			 Northamptonshire Police 4,519.54 22,790.60 3,721.92 1 ,206.00 2,110.00 4,990.00 
			 Northumbria Police 186,131.27 9,702.09 4,147.73 38,249.00 29,156.00 63,123.95 
			 Nottinghamshire Police 10,157.32 29,208.17 15,064.73 7,397.80 41,530.51 12,487.89 
			 South Wales Police 12,704.74 21,080.65 46,874.17 23,314.32 17,984.51 11,500.16 
			 South Yorkshire Police 57,441.41 16,726.54 13,040.55 24,305.71 81,690.16 7,724.00 
			 Staffordshire Police 43,996.57 4,212.00 11,622.00 924.29 22,503.58 14,344.54 
			 Suffolk Constabulary 6,346.37 5,377.18 20,254.61 5,190.79 34,121.66 8,790.68 
			 Surrey Police 4,000.37 30,441.33 6,000.00 112,281.91 29,619.26 0.00 
			 Sussex Police 35,941.22 19,684.97 35,359.79 10,906.66 32,493.00 69,206.68 
			 Thames Valley Police 1,257,463.06 21,090.44 93,568.45 125,472.69 74,035.05 13,720.68 
			 Warwickshire Police 117.54 1,080.57 0.00 1,649.03 2,908.64 70.60 
			 West Mercia Constabulary 12,975.80 845.00 1,212.33 6,012.45 6,853.94 15,108.29 
			 West Midlands Police 53,246.95 64,889.72 51,275.66 37,901.27 14,994.08 45,785.48 
			 West Yorkshire Police 41,466.48 106,866.63 100,188.86 107,776.36 28,571 .57 48,054.21 
			 Wiltshire Constabulary 3,719.70 60,461.38 1,008.30 1,247.24 1,001.59 388.74

Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects a decision to be reached on the application of Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi to enter the UK.

Tony McNulty: Sheikh Qaradawi's tourist visa application has now been refused.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service: Finance

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what funding allocation he proposes to make to the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09 and  (c) 2009-10.

Kevin Brennan: The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) has been initially allocated the following net amounts:
	
		
			   ( million) 
			   Funding 
			 2007-08 106.7 
			 2008-09 114.9 
			 2009-10 124.1

Children: Abuse

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his latest estimate is of the proportion of child sexual abuse committed by family members or carers of the victim; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: In the year ending 31 March 2007, 2,500 children became the subject of a Child Protection Plan where the category of abuse was recorded as sexual abuse. The Department does not collect information on the perpetrators of abuse.

Children: Day Care

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of child care and early years workers who have qualifications of a standard of less than NVQ Level 3.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 12 November 2007
	Data on the qualifications of existing child care and early years workers in registered settings are collected as part of the Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey. Figures from the 2006 Survey on the proportion of staff holding qualifications at Level 1 or Level 2 are shown in the table as follows. These percentages are based on a sample survey of providers. Estimates of the number of staff with qualifications below Level 3 are not currently available. I will write to the hon. Member with further information in the near future if the additional analysis required to produce these estimates is feasible.
	
		
			  Table: qualifications held by all paid early years and child care workers 
			  Level 1 or 2  Percentage 
			 Full day care 15 
			 Full day care in children's centres 12 
			 Sessional 21 
			 After school clubs 24 
			 Holiday clubs 23 
			 Childminders 14 
			 Nursery schools 7 
			 Primary schools with nursery and reception classes 8 
			 Primary schools with reception but no nursery classes 9

Health Education: Alcoholic Drinks

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has to issue guidance to schools on raising awareness among pupils of the risks associated with alcohol.

Beverley Hughes: The Government are committed to reducing substance misuse among young people, including that relating to alcohol. Alcohol education is delivered alongside that on drugs and volatile substances and is a vital element of our approach. The Department issued its Drugs: Guidance for Schools to all maintained schools in February 2004. This makes clear our intention for pupils to be educated about alcohol and its effects in primary schoolbefore drinking patterns become establishedand for this to be revisited in secondary school as pupils' understanding and experience increases.
	We are, however, clear of the need to be sure that alcohol education in schools is robust, accurate and effective. As part of the Children's Plan we have given a commitment to examine the effectiveness of current delivery arrangements for all drugs educationincluding alcoholand act to strengthen them if necessary.

Obesity

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government plan to take to identify families with an increased risk of obesity.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	The Child Health Promotion Programme (CHPP) consists of a schedule of screening tests, developmental surveillance health protection, health promotion and parenting guidance. Throughout the CHPP, a series of health reviews provide an opportunity for health professionals to identify families that are most at risk from child weight issues and least able to tackle them. In particular, the assessment by the 12th week of pregnancy allows health professionals to identify mothers who are already obese or overweight, and to give them advice on healthy weight gain in pregnancy. This is crucial for their baby's development, safety and also to ease delivery.
	In addition to the CHPP, the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) is an important element of the Government's work to address the serious and growing problem of childhood obesity. Established in 2005, the NCMP weighs and measures children in reception year (aged four to five years) and year six (aged 10 to 11 years). Significantly improved coverage has produced one of the largest collection of data on children's height and weight in the world, and this is now being used to inform local planning and delivery of services for children and gather population level data to allow analysis of trends in excess weight.

Teenage Pregnancy: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the rate of teenage pregnancy in Bexley was  (a) in 1997 and  (b) in each of the last two years.

Beverley Hughes: The rate of under-18 conceptions in Bexley for each year from 1997 to 2005 (the latest year for which data are available) is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Year  Percentage  r ate 
			 1997 37.0 
			 1998 37.2 
			 1999 42.7 
			 2000 34.7 
			 2001 43.9 
			 2002 40.1 
			 2003 41.2 
			 2004 38.3 
			 2005 35.7 
		
	
	The baseline year for the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy is 1998. Since then, the under-18 conception rate in Bexley has fallen by 4.2 per cent. This is below the rate of progress in England as a wholewhere the under-18 conception rate has fallen by 11.4 per cent. and in contrast to areas that have similar population characteristics to Bexley, which have achieved impressive reductions. For example, the under-18 conception rate in Havering has fallen by 18 per cent.
	To tackle the wide variation in progress between local areas, we have issued guidance to local authorities and primary care trusts, setting out the key ingredients of successful local strategiesbased on evidence of what is working in local areas which have made most progress. This evidence identified that successful strategies need to have in place:
	Active engagement of all of the key mainstream delivery partners who have a role in reducing teenage pregnanciesHealth, Education, Social Services and Youth Support Servicesand the voluntary sector;
	A strong senior champion who is accountable for and has taken the lead in driving forward the local strategy;
	The availability of a well publicised young people-centred contraceptive and sexual health advice service, with a strong remit to undertake health promotion work, as well as delivering reactive services;
	A high priority given to PSHE in schools, with support from the local authority to develop comprehensive programmes of sex and relationships education (SRE) in all schools;
	A strong focus on targeted interventions with young people at greatest risk of teenage pregnancy, in particular with Looked After Children;
	The availability (and consistent take-up) of SRE training for professionals in partner organisations (such as Connexions Personal Advisers, Youth Workers and Social Workers) working with the most vulnerable young people; and
	A well resourced Youth Service, providing things to do and places to go for young people, with a clear focus on addressing key social issues affecting young people, such as sexual health and substance misuse.
	I am asking areas like Bexleywhere rates are either increasing or where progress is slowto use this guidance to review and update their local strategies. This work is being supported by Government offices who are providing appropriate support and challenge to each the local area. As part of that approach, we are encouraging all areas that are significantly behind trajectory to consider including teenage pregnancy as a priority in their local area agreements that they are currently negotiating with Government offices. The aim is to accelerate progress in all areas to the levels of the bestif all areas had performed as well as the top quartile, the national reduction would be 26 per cent., more than twice the reduction actually achieved.

Written Questions

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he will reply to the question 171461, on the number of mainstream secondary schools that have not entered students for a GCSE in modern languages, tabled by the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton on 30 November.

Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 7 January 2008,  Official Report, column 217W.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

British Overseas Territories: Biodiversity

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much funding has been provided by the European Commission to support biodiversity conservation projects in UK overseas territories in the last 12 months.

Meg Munn: Under the Ninth European Development Fund, the European Commission has provided 8 million for regional development projects. The United Kingdom's overseas territories secured funding for two bio-diversity/conservation projects:
	the South Atlantic Invasive Species Project was allocated 2 million and covers the Falkland Islands and St. Helena and its dependencies. In the past 12 months 150,000 has been spent on this project;
	the Management of Protected Areas to Support Sustainable Economies project, was allocated 2.47 million for use in the Turks and Caicos Islands, British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands. I understand funds for the Caribbean project, have yet to flow.
	The United Kingdom's overseas territories are also included in a project funded from the European Union's 6th Research Framework Programme entitled Networking Tropical and Subtropical Bio-diversity Research in Outer Most Regions and Territories of Europe in Support of Sustainable Development. Total funding allocated to this project is 2,518,311, which is ongoing.

Capita

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was paid by his Department to Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries  (a) in 2000-01 and  (b) since 2005-06; which contracts were awarded by his Department to Capita Group plc in each year since 2000-01 to the most recent date available; what the cost was of each contract; what penalties for default were imposed in contract provisions; what the length was of each contract; whether the contract was advertised; how many companies applied for the contract; how many were short-listed; what criteria were used for choosing a company; what provision was made for renewal without re-tender in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: The bulk of Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) spend with Capita Group plc during this period related to recruitment and training purchased by the FCO's Human Resources Directorate (HRD). In answer to this question, costs and contract information for HRD are therefore shown separately from the rest of the FCO.
	 FCO spend with Capita Group plc
	
		
			   
			  Financial year  Human resources spend  Other FCO spend 
			 2000-2001 (1)n/a (1)n/a 
			 2001-2002 625,672 572,828 
			 2005-2006 211,866 648,634 
			 2006-2007 716,624 347,223 
			 (1) Due to a changeover in the FCO's management information system, the amount paid to Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries during 2000-01 is not available and could not be provided without incurring disproportionate costs. 
		
	
	 FCO contract values (pre 2003)
	FCO contract values for 2001-02 and 2002-03 are set out in the following table as total FCO spend with Capita Group plc.
	
		
			
			  Financial year  Spend 
			 2001-2002 1,198,500 
			 2002-2003 763,300 
		
	
	Specific contract details are not available for this period and could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
	 Human resources FCO contract values (post 2003)
	
		
			  Financial year  Contract details  Tender/advertising details  Cost () 
			 2003-04 Recruitment campaign for administrative and executive officer entrants (1)n/a 29,500 
			  Recruitment campaign for specialist staff (1)n/a 11,322 
			 
			 2004-05 Recruitment for specialist staff (1)n/a 29,035 
			 
			 2005-06 and 2006-07 Time management for teams courses (for period 30 March 2005 to 18 September 2005) Not advertised as below Official Journal of European Union threshold but competitive bid process carried out. 30,150 
			  Generalist recruitment (for period 12 July 2005 to 18 July 2006) Contracts advertised on the Official Journal of European Union (ref Go 030923151/01 Dispatch of notice 23 September 2003) 304,610 
			  Specialist recruitment (for period 1 September 2005 to 31 August 2006) 67 companies completed pre-qualification questionnaire with three shortlisted for Generalist and four for Specialist recruitment. Two formal bids received for Generalist and four for Specialist. 16,506 
			 (1) Specific contract details for the periods 2003-04 and 2004-05 are not available and could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost. 
		
	
	Actual spend in financial year 2006-07 exceeded the contract values shown in the table. This was the result of increased recruitment activity during that period and the extension of the contract.
	Penalties for default are unenforceable in English law. Liquidated damages involving genuine pre-estimates of loss would be the preferred route to remuneration in the event of a contractor's failure incurring additional costs for the FCO. Liquidated damages were not included in the contracts listed.
	The FCO awards all of its contracts on the basis of the most economically advantageous tender, defined as the optimum combination of the whole life costs and benefits assessed against pre-determined evaluation award criteria which would be included in the Invitation to Tender.
	Capita Group plc no longer holds the HR recruitment contract. We now use the services of Barkers under the HM Prison Service framework.
	 Non-human resources FCO contract values (post 2003)
	
		
			
			  Financial year  Total value of contracts 
			 2003-04 565,100 
			 2004-05 199,300 
			 2005-06 648,634 
			 2006-07 347,223 
		
	
	The main areas of financial commitment and expenditure (based on financial values of purchase orders), for the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007, excluding those contracted by HRD, are as follows:
	Specialist recruitment campaigns (EU and globalisation directorates);
	Eligibility checks (EU and globalisation/finance directorates);
	British sign language interpreter for selection tests (finance directorate);
	Provision and marking for written and administrative tests (FCO services).
	A breakdown pre-2006 is not readily available and could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
	These figures also only cover contracts made in the UK and exclude any made by our Missions overseas. This information could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

Colombia: Drugs

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent support his Department has offered to the government of Colombia in combating the smuggling of illegal drugs across the Colombia-Venezuela border.

Kim Howells: Preventing the cross-border flow of illicit drugs from Colombia to neighbouring countries is a top priority for the UK's international counter-narcotics efforts. The UK is investing in projects in Colombia and Venezuela to tackle the cross-border flow of illicit drugs. These projects have helped to build capacity amongst Colombian and Venezuelan law enforcement agencies and the judiciary. In addition, funding of a United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime project on cross border co-operation has recently been approved.
	We take a broad regional approach to tackling the trade in illicit drugs, through a mixture of political engagement, capacity building and law enforcement support in producer, transit and consumer countries. This includes working with Governments of other producer and transit countries in Latin America and countries along the main trafficking routes for drugs via the Caribbean and West Africa.

Committee of Permanent Representatives

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 10 January 2008,  Official Report, column 791W, on the Committee of Permanent Representatives, how many personnel work in support of  (a) the UK Deputy Permanent Representative in the Committee of Permanent Representatives I and  (b) the UK Permanent Representative in the Committee of Permanent Representatives II.

Jim Murphy: The UK Permanent and Deputy Permanent Representatives are supported in their work in the Committee of Permanent Representatives by officials at the UK Permanent Representation to the EU.
	A break down of total staff at the UK Permanent Representation to the EU between 2006-08 is as follows.
	
		
			   2006  2007  2008 
			 Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) 59 40 37 
			 FCO secondees 43 39 40 
			 Other Government Departments 16 12 12 
			 Locally engaged staff 53 52 55

Darfur: Peacekeeping Operations

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) diplomatic and  (b) financial support the Government has given to the co-ordination of protection activities in Darfur in the last 12 months.

Meg Munn: The UK was instrumental in the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1769 on 31 July 2007 mandating the UN-African Union hybrid peacekeeping force in Darfur which, since 31 December 2007, has been responsible for protecting civilians in Darfur. We fund the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur through our assessed contributions to the UN. We are in regular contact with the UN, the African Union, the Government of Sudan and potential troop contributing countries to press for the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur to be an effective peacekeeping mission.
	Previously the African Union mission in Sudan had been responsible for protection in Darfur and we committed 73 million in funding to this mission.
	We are pressing the Government of Sudan to observe their obligations to protect their own citizens. We continue to make clear to the Government of Sudan and rebel movements in Darfur that we will press for tough measures against any party that obstructs progress towards peace. And we are closely monitoring the co-ordination of protection activities by the UN and other agencies in Darfur.

Darfur: Peacekeeping Operations

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations his Department has made to the government of Sudan on the implementation of its commitments under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

Meg Munn: My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, raised the need to implement the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) when he met President Bashir of Sudan in Addis Ababa on 31 January, and the President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, Sudanese Ministers, Members of Parliament and senior presidential advisers, Nafie Ali Nafie and Ghazi Salahuddin, when he was in Sudan from 28 to 31 January.
	The UK has proposed a candidate to chair the Assessment and Evaluation Commission, the international institution that assists the parties in resolving disputes in implementing the CPA.
	Our embassy in Khartoum engages regularly with Sudanese officials to support the effective implementation of the CPA.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Civil Rights

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to seek to ensure a free and fair trial for Pastor Fernando Kutino in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); and if he will encourage the DRC Government to end the use of military tribunals in civilian cases.

Meg Munn: We have registered our concern at the conduct of the trial of Pastor Kutino with the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on several occasions. We have encouraged the authorities to establish judicial independence and will continue to monitor the situation and urge that due process be observed.
	We contribute almost one sixth to the cost of the EU Security Sector reform missions. These aim to deliver improvements in the DRC justice system. We will continue to work closely with international partners to ensure that support for reform of the justice sector is targeted and co-ordinated.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Civil Rights

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government plans to make to the Government of Democratic Republic of Congo on its treatment of members of civil society in areas within its control, with particular reference to the military judge Major Mbokolo Wawa, his assistant Captain Kawende, and journalists Maurice Kayombo and Rene Kabala Mushiya.

Meg Munn: We are aware of the cases brought against judge Major Mbokolo Wasa, his assistant Captain Kawende, journalist Maurice Kayombo and Rene Kabala Mushiya. We are following their status carefully and are working in collaboration with partners to ensure they are treated fairly and in accordance with the law.
	We continue to remind the Congolese Government in the strongest terms of its responsibilities to protect human rights, in particular to protect freedom of expression, including criticism of the government and the President, and to ensure the right to a free and fair trial.

Departmental Languages

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to increase the number of Pashtun speakers employed by his Department.

Meg Munn: I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's written ministerial statement of 23 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 52-53W, and the written answer he gave on 25 January 2008,  Official Report, column 2312W to the right hon. Member for Richmond, Yorks (Mr. Hague).
	Pashto is one of our target languages at recruitment. We will provide language training in Dari and/or Pashto for staff going to Afghanistan wherever there is an operational requirement.

Departmental Reorganisation

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 23 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 52-3WS, on the new strategic framework 
	(1)  whether any other Government department will be affected by changes related to the planned reduction in his Department's resources in certain areas; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what changes in  (a) resources allocated and  (b) staff numbers are expected in each area which has been identified for a reduction in departmental resources;
	(3)  which areas have been identified for a reduction in departmental funding; what the reasons are in each case; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The new strategic framework is intended to ensure that all Government Departments make most effective use of the FCO's global network. In respect of terrorism, conflict, climate change and international institutional reform we will be increasing FCO resources and working with a range of Government Departmentsnotably Home Office, DFID, MOD, HMT, DEFRAto maximise the effectiveness of UK effort. In order to increase in some areas, we have to reduce resources in others. In the areas of sustainable development, science and innovation and drugs and crimepreviously labelled as 'strategic priorities'we will be discussing with DEFRA, DIUS, Home Office and OGDs and agencies how Government can best co-ordinate in London, and deliver and fund abroad, its international work. In respect of science, I am happy to confirm that FCO funding for the valuable Science and Innovation Network will remain at current levels for 2008-09 while these discussions continue.

Dubai: Money Laundering

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will hold discussions with the government of Dubai to establish improved anti-money laundering capabilities to prevent Taliban funds being channelled through Dubai.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no plans to discuss this issue with the Dubai authorities. The Financial Action Task Force President Sir James Sassoon visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 24 January 2008 to discuss money laundering and my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Security and Counter-terrorism, Lord West of Spithead, discussed money laundering and terrorism finance issues during his visit in October 2007. He will be returning to the UAE in March to ratify the treaties on Extradition and Mutual Legal Assistance.
	Prior to my noble Friend's visit I held talks with the financial authorities in the UAE on the subject of countering fraud and money laundering.

EU Budget

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the GNI own resources column in the summary of financing of the general budget by type of own resource and by member state table appended to the latest budget adopted by the European Communities.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The EC budget for 2008 is a publicly available document published by the European Commission which can be viewed at:
	http://eur-lex.europa.eu/budget/www/index-en.htm
	Table 6 of the revenue section of this document contains the summary of financing referred to, including the GNI column. The 2008 EC budget was adopted in December 2007 and will in due course also be published in the L (Legislation) series of the Official Journal of the European Union.

EU Defence Policy

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the level of co-operation between the UK and the EU on defence matters under the Treaty of Lisbon if ratified.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 7 February 2008
	The UK pioneered and supports the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). The treaty will not change the basic characteristics of ESDP. The commitment of UK troops for any EU led operation will continue to be on a voluntary basis and a decision for the Government alone. The requirement of unanimity for launching an ESDP mission is also maintained.

EU Energy Policy

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his European Union counterparts on the merits of a common European energy policy; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 6 February 2008
	With the EU's increasing reliance on imported energy and the internal market increasingly inter-linked, there is a clear need for a coherent EU energy policy. An effective energy policy will help ensure a balance between demand and supply and will help to drive the transition to a low carbon economy in the EU. EU leaders recognised the synergies between energy and climate change at the Spring European Council in March 2007 when they adopted the Energy Action Plan for Europe. The challenge now is to deliver that Action Plan by taking a common approach in our relations with key third country suppliers. The EU also needs to reach early agreement on further liberalisation of the internal energy market. This will serve to strengthen efforts to extend market principles to key third countries, and facilitate private investment in infrastructure in strategically important supplier and transit states.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I meet regularly with EU counterparts to discuss a range of issues, including European energy policy. The UK is currently working with EU partners to agree the Internal Energy Market package. The UK supports a diverse and liberalised energy policy to promote competition and ensure energy security across the EU.

EU High Representative (CFSP): Powers

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the powers and responsibilities of the proposed EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy will be over  (a) trade and  (b) aid programmes; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 7 February 2008
	Subject to successful ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, as vice-president of the Commission charged 'within the Commission for responsibilities incumbent upon it in external relations' and for ensuring 'the consistency of the Union's external action' (amended Article 9E Treaty on European Union), the new High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy will have a role to play in trade and the European Union's aid programmes.
	The way in which the High Representatives will interact with the Commission (currently charged with the management of both trade and development dossiers) and the specific division of responsibilities will be a matter for subsequent agreement.

EU Reform: Treaties

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations on the Treaty of Lisbon he has received from  (a) Action Aid,  (b) the NSPCC,  (c) One World Action and  (d) Oxfam.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 7 February 2008
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) routinely engages with a range of external groups across the wide spectrum of EU issues. Among others, these groups include non-governmental organisations such as Action Aid, National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, One World Action and Oxfam. All of these groups, either directly or through their umbrella organisations, have had contact with the FCO about the Treaty of Lisbon.

Gough Island: Biodiversity

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the Government have to support biodiversity conservation on Gough Island over the next five years.

Meg Munn: The Government do not have specific plans to support biodiversity conservation on Gough Island over the next five years. The Overseas Territories Environment Programme, a joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development funded programme, has funded biodiversity projects on Gough Island in the past. These included a feasibility study into mice eradication and the eradication of Procumbent Pearlwort, an invasive plant. We will continue to consider future biodiversity project proposals on a case by case basis.

Kenya: Politics and Government

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made representations to the Kenyan Government on the situation of the Kikuyu population of the Kalenjin region.

Meg Munn: The Government condemns unreservedly all acts of violence in Kenya. We have repeatedly called for calm and for any grievances to be dealt with through the appropriate legal channels. It is important that all Kenya's leaders live up to their responsibilities and do all they can to end the violence immediately. We also call on them to come together in a process of dialogue to agree a way forward that respects the democratic will of the Kenyan people and puts Kenya back on the path to peace, stability and prosperity.

Serbia: Diplomatic Relations

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to meet the newly elected President of Serbia.

Jim Murphy: The final round of the Serbian presidential elections was held on 3 February 2008. Preliminary results indicate that Boris Tadic has been re-elected as President. We welcome this result. President Tadic has signalled his clear commitment to Serbia's European future and we look forward to working with him to realise this ambition as quickly as possible.

Simon Mann

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will hold discussions with the Government of Equatorial Guinea on improving prison conditions for Simon Mann.

Meg Munn: In line with consular policy we are seeking urgent consular access to visit Mr. Mann in prison. We will consider what further action may be appropriate once we have spoken to Mr. Mann.
	In seeking permission for a consular visit to Mr. Mann, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has underlined, to the Government of Equatorial Guinea, their obligations as a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Article 10 of the Covenant states that all persons deprived of their liberty shall be treated with humanity and with respect for inherent dignity of the human person.

Simon Mann

Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he proposes to take to ensure that Simon Mann does not face the death penalty in Equatorial Guinea; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: We understand that the Government of Equatorial Guinea provided assurances to the Government of Zimbabwe that the death penalty would not be implemented should Simon Mann be extradited to Equatorial Guinea. The Attorney-General of Equatorial Guinea, Jose Ole Obono, publicly stated on 10 May 2007 that, 'the death penalty will not apply in this case'.
	We are currently seeking urgent consular access to visit Mr. Mann in prison and have underlined to the Government of Equatorial Guinea their obligations to respect Mr. Mann's human rights during his detention.
	The UK is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances and works closely with the EU to promote abolition of the death penalty around the world.

Sudan: Chad

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the outcome of the mini-summit in Libya on 27 January 2008 on relations between Sudan and Chad.

Meg Munn: We understand the purpose of the mini summit of seven African Heads of State hosted by the Libyan Leader Colonel Qadhafi in Tripoli on 27 January was to prepare for the African Union summit in Addis Ababa and consider the situation in Darfur and Chad.
	We are monitoring the deterioration of security in the border region of Sudan and Chad, including the recent attacks by rebel groups from Darfur into Eastern Chad and the incursions of Chadian armed forces into Sudan.
	In bilateral contacts with the Sudanese and Chadian governments, including during my noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown's visit to Sudan from 28 to 30 January and to the African Union Summit of 31 January to 1 February, we have supported calls by the UN and African Union for both governments to stop supporting each other's rebels, fulfil their obligations under the 2006 Tripoli agreement and abide by the cease-fire agreed in Libya in October 2007.

Sudan: Peace Negotiations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek the agreement of the Government's international partners to convene an international conference on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Sudan.

Meg Munn: Implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) remains one of our highest priorities in Sudan. We continue to explore options with our international partners for convening a high-level international conference on CPA implementation, but have not yet agreed when and where such a conference should take place to best advance CPA implementation.

Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations his Department has made to the Government of Sudan on the implementation of its commitments under the Abyei Protocol.

Meg Munn: My right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary, the Secretary of State for International Development and my noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, have all pushed in their contacts with the Government of Sudan for progress on resolution of the dispute over Abyei in the broader context of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement implementation. Our embassy in Khartoum has raised Abyei regularly in its contacts with the Government of Sudan.
	Most recently, my noble Friend the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown discussed Abyei with President Bashir, and Senior Sudanese Presidential advisers, Nafie Ali Nafie and Ghazi Salahuddin, during his visit to Sudan and Ethiopia from 28 January to 1 February.

Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the appropriateness of the ratio of men to women within the police component of UNAMID for the tasks to be performed in Darfur; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: We have not yet assessed the ratio of men and women within the police component of the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) because the police component of UNAMID is not up to full strength, nor have all the contributing countries been identified.
	There are currently 1,400 civilian police in UNAMID who transferred from the police component of the African Union Mission in Sudan. Once fully deployed, the police component of UNAMID will total just under 6,500 officers.

Sudan: Politics and Government

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the government of Sudan against the formal appointment of Musa Hilal as an adviser to their Ministry of Federal Affairs.

Meg Munn: My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, raised UK concerns over the appointment of Musa Hilal in meetings with representatives of the Government of Sudan during his visit to Sudan on 28-31 January. He made clear that the appointment was inappropriate as Musa Hilal is subject to UN sanctions. We also raised the issue of Musa Hilal's appointment at the UN Sanctions Committee on 1 February.

Darfur: Peacekeeping Operations

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of UNMIS in co-ordinating civilian protection in Darfur; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: We have not yet assessed the effectiveness of the co-ordination of civilian protection in Darfur following the assumption of peacekeeping authority by the African Union-UN hybrid mission (UNAMID) on 31 December, as many of the relevant structures and personnel are not yet in place. UNAMID is mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 1769 to protect civilians, which it will carry out in co-ordination with other UN agencies and non-governmental humanitarian organisations.
	Prior to 31 December 2007, UNMIS (the UN Mission in Sudan set up to support implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement between North and South Sudan) contributed towards civilian protection in Darfur through information-gathering and sharing with the African Union peacekeeping mission in Sudan and humanitarian agencies. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organisation for Migration also delivered civilian protection in Darfur.
	Former UNMIS staff now work for UNAMID, which will include a civilian element of approximately 5,000 staff when fully established. UNAMID has appointed Humanitarian Affairs Officers to co-ordinate with the UN agencies and non-governmental humanitarian organisations. We are monitoring this transition.

TRANSPORT

Air Routes: Felixstowe

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will bring forward proposals to reduce the number of planes flying over Felixstowe.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Airspace planning and regulation is the responsibility of the independent Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Under the CAA's airspace change process, it is for airspace change sponsors to develop and consult upon proposals. It is then for the CAA to assess proposals against regulatory requirements and either approve or reject the proposal.

Air Routes: Felixstowe

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what maximum number of planes per day is permitted to use the flight corridors over the Felixstowe, Walton, Trimley, Kirton area and the Suffolk coast;
	(2)  how many commercial aeroplanes flew over Suffolk  (a) in the last 12 months and  (b) on each day of the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: This is an operational matter for NATS, the air navigation services provider. This information is not held centrally.

Air Routes: Urban Areas

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what account is taken of the effect on communities living under flight paths when taking decisions on the number of planes flying on those routes.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport has issued guidance to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on the conduct of its environmental objectives in the performance of its air navigation duties. This guidance is reflected fully in the CAA' airspace change process which is published in CAP 724 and CAP 725. Under this process, proposers of airspace changes are required to consider the impact of changes to airspace arrangements on the areas which are over flown and to consult widely on the proposed changes. Detailed guidance is given on what impacts are to be taken into account, how they should be measured and on who should be consulted.

Air Routes: Urban Areas

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport under the flight path arrangements for which her Department is responsible, what the estimated maximum number of aeroplanes is that may fly safely over Suffolk each day.

Jim Fitzpatrick: This is an operational matter for NATS, the air navigation services provider. This information is not held centrally.

Airedale and Wharfedale Lines

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 23 October 2007,  Official Report, column 151-2, on Airedale and Wharfedale lines, when she expects Network Rail to set out its plans for additional capacity on the Airedale and Wharfedale lines.

Tom Harris: On 30 January 2008, The Secretary of State for Transport published a rolling stock plan, as set out in the White Paper 'Delivering a Sustainable Railway'. This plan sets out in more detail how the additional capacity committed in the period 2009-14 will be delivered. In relation to rail services into Leeds, it identifies the increase in demand that needs to be catered for and an indicative number of vehicles that will be provided within the northern franchise, to serve Leeds as well as other cities in the north of England.
	The plan sets out the process that is being followed to determine the procurement of the additional vehicles but does not set out route specific details of numbers of rolling stock vehicles to be provided. This level of detail continues to be discussed with the rail industry and will take some time to finalise.
	Alongside the rolling stock plan, the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) continues to assess Network Rail's strategic business plan, which sets out the industry's view of how best to introduce the additional capacity required to be delivered. The ORR set out its initial assessment of the strategic business plan on 20 December 2007 and expects to provide greater detail on its analysis of the plan in February 2008.

Airports: Baggage

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if she will publish the guidance issued to airports on the collection and disposal of goods taken from the hand luggage of passengers by airport security officials; and on what date such guidance was issued;
	(2)  what her Department's policy is on the disposal of goods taken from the hand luggage of passengers by airport security officials; and when this policy was put in place;
	(3)  what estimate has been made of the volume of  (a) liquid,  (b) glass and  (c) plastic that has been taken from the hand luggage of passengers by airport security officials since August 2006;
	(4)  what estimate has been made of the cost of collection and disposal of goods taken from the hand luggage of passengers by airport security officials since August 2006;
	(5)  what estimate has been made of the volume of materials taken from the hand luggage of passengers by airport security officials since August 2006 that have been  (a) recycled,  (b) disposed of in landfill sites and  (c) given to charity shops.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The National Aviation Security Programme places a requirement on airport operators to ensure that passengers are prevented from taking prohibited articles on to aircraft departing UK airports. The Government's role is to ensure compliance with this approach. The Government do not record any information on the disposal of items which are confiscated under this policy.

Aviation: Mental Health

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what mental health checks are required for commercial airline pilots of airlines based in the UK.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Commercial airline pilots flying for airlines based in the United Kingdom are required to hold a Joint Aviation Authority (JAA) Class 1 Medical Certificate which is assessed in accordance with Joint Aviation RequirementsFlight Crew Licensing (JAR-FCL) Part 3 Medical. Certificates are issued to pilots following satisfactory medical examinations, performed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) approved Aeromedical Examiners, and have varying validity dates according to the pilot's age. The maximum period of validity is one year.
	The JAA requirements state
	a holder of a Class 1 medical certificate shall have no established medical history or clinical diagnosis of any psychiatric disease or disability, condition or disorder, acute or chronic, congenital or acquired, which is likely to interfere with the safe exercise of the privileges of the applicable licence(s).

Aviation: Security

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the use of air marshals on flights operating out of Heathrow and Gatwick and flying to the United States.

Jim Fitzpatrick: All aviation security measures are kept under active review. For security reasons, it would be inappropriate to comment on the specific arrangements which have been put in place, or on any assessment of them.

Bus Services

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many meetings were held between her Department's officials and representatives of bus operating companies on the Local Transport Bill between May 2007 and 16 January 2008; and which company or companies attended each meeting;
	(2)  how many meetings have been held between her Department's officials and the Confederation of Passenger Transport on the Local Transport Bill between May 2007 and 16 January 2008;
	(3)  how many meetings have been held between Ministers and special advisers from her Department and representatives of bus operating companies by company on the Local Transport Bill between May 2007 and 16 January 2008; and which company or companies attended each meeting;
	(4)  how many meetings have been held between Ministers and special advisers from her Department and the Confederation of Passenger Transport on the Local Transport Bill between May 2007 and 16 January 2008.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 4 February 2008
	As part of the process of consultation on the Local Transport Bill, both before and since introduction, Ministers, special advisers and officials have held a number of meetings with stakeholders, individually or collectively, including representatives of the bus industry.

Bus Services: Standards

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures are in place to penalise bus operators who consistently fail to deliver a clean and punctual service; what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of this system; and what further measures have been considered to hold such operators to account.

Rosie Winterton: Traffic Commissioners currently have powers to penalise bus operators who fail to operate local services in accordance with their registered timetables. Under section 155 of the Transport Act 2000 they can impose a penalty of up to 550 multiplied by the total number of vehicles which the operator is licensed to use. The Traffic Commissioners can also attach conditions to operators' licences.
	The performance regime was looked at closely as part of the review of buses leading up the Local Transport Bill. As part of this a new regime is being developed which will ensure that the Traffic Commissioners receive better quality punctuality data and for the first time hold local authorities as well as operators to account.
	We are also giving Traffic Commissioners new powers in the Local Transport Bill where services are not operated punctually. They will be able to require operators to invest in improvements to local services or to compensate passengers, which could be for example in the form of monetary payments or free or reduced price travel.
	Local authorities have a role to play in driving up quality standards such as the level of cleanliness. Quality partnership schemes may make provision for a standard of cleanliness to be complied with, as the North Sheffield scheme does. Also voluntary partnership agreements between bus operators and local authorities often make provisions of this kind. The Local Transport Bill includes measures intended to promote more partnership schemes and agreements that will be of benefit to bus passengers.
	The Local Transport Bill will also make the option of quality contracts schemes a more realistic one for those local authorities who are able to meet the criteria. Where such a scheme is in force, the local authority, rather than the Traffic Commissioner, would be responsible for ensuring that contracted bus operators comply with standards of punctuality, cleanliness and other matters specified in the contract.
	We are currently consulting on options to bolster the voice of bus passengers. The consultation paper'Options for strengthening bus passenger representation' asks for comments on how we can champion improvement in bus services, work with stakeholders to ensure that the passengers' voice is heard when key decisions are being made and make suggestions about the future direction on bus provision. The consultation closes on 17 March.

Cars: Carbon Emissions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make it her policy that the maximum limit in 2020 for car emissions should be 100 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Neither we nor the European Commission have any plans to set a limit per car. We believe that 100 g/km as an average for new cars in the EU should be achievable by 2020 (or 2025 at the latest). We are urging the European Commission, European Parliament and European Council to seek consensus on this as soon as possible.

Concessionary Bus Travel

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Taunton of 28 January,  Official Report, column 42W, on concessionary bus travel, how much local authorities contributed to the scheme in each year since 2005, broken down by local authority area.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 5 February 2008
	To date, funding for statutory minimum bus concession travel has been allocated through the formula grant process (RSG). Authorities are free to use their own funding, in addition to this, to offer discretionary concessions over and above the statutory minimum. It is not possible to disaggregate how much funding local authorities contributed to their schemes since concessionary fares funding is not separately identified in formula grant and figures on concessionary fares spending do not distinguish between the statutory minimum concession and local enhancements. The amount local authorities actually spent on concessionary travel including any local enhancements, since 2005, is shown in the table which has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many freedom of information requests her Department received in each year since 2005; and how many of those requests have been refused.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government have published two annual reports that contain statistical information about how many requests have been received by monitored bodies (including central Government Departments) and how many have been refused.
	These reports can be found at the following address:
	http://www.dca.gov.uk/foi/reference/statisticsAndReports.htm.
	Data are currently being collected across monitored bodies in order to produce the 2007 annual report and Q4 monitoring report. However, Q1 to Q3 monitoring reports of 2007 can be found at the following address:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/freedomofinformation quarterly.htm.

Departmental Public Relations

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many external contracts her Department held with public relations companies in each of the last 10 years; and what the total cost of those contracts was.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Expenditure from the 2002-03 fiscal year when the Department was formed, which includes the cost of PR promotions in various media, is outlined as follows.
	The Department's prime use of external public relations is in support of our marketing activities on the THINK! road safety, Act on CO2, and the Concessionary Bus Fares campaigns. The rise in spend for 2006-07 follows the appointment of an agency to help in extending Act on CO2 campaign messages. The further increase in spend for 2007-08 reflects the inclusion of the Concessionary Bus Fares campaign and the European Whole Vehicle Type Approval campaign. DVLA's spend is primarily in support of the Continuous Registration (vehicle tax) campaign.
	
		
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 (expected out t urn) 
			  Central DfT   
			 Number PR agencies n/a 2 2 1 2 4 
			 Total cost () n/a 214,000 253,000 255,000 362,000 625,000 
			
			  DSA   
			 Number PR agencies 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total cost () 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			
			  DVLA   
			 Number PR agencies 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Total cost () 84,000 59,000 49,000 604,000 234,000 48,000 
			
			  HA   
			 Number PR agencies 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total cost () 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			
			  VOSA   
			 Number PR agencies 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 Total cost () 0 0 0 0 26,000 27,000 
			
			  MCA   
			 Number PR agencies 0 2 1 1 1 1 
			 Total cost () 0 60,000 51,000 73,000 79,000 55,000 
			
			  VCA   
			 Number PR agencies 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total cost () 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			
			  GCDA   
			 Number PR agencies n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 
			 Total cost () n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 
		
	
	Breaking down the costs of external public relations contracts prior to 2002-03 fiscal year could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Travel

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department spent on travel  (a) within and  (b) outside the UK for officials in each of the last 10 years; and what percentage of her Department's overall expenditure was spent on such travel in each such year.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport and its agencies account and record their expenditure in different ways, with differing degrees of detail. To provide the information at the level of detail requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in her Department travelled by (i) car, (ii) rail and (iii) air on Government business in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport does not record centrally the number of miles Ministers and officials travel while on Government business.
	In financial year 2005-06 the Department performed a one-off exercise to track the combined number of miles travelled by Ministers and officials during the year. The totals were as follows:
	
		
			  Miles travelled 
			   Number 
			 Road 3,786,021 
			 Rail 3,328,585 
			 Air 5,641,508 
		
	
	The mileage does not differentiate between Ministers and officials and does not include DSA, DVLA, GCDA, HA, VGA and VOSA.
	All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code, Travel by Ministers and the Civil Service Management Code.

Departmental Visits Abroad

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many overseas visits by officials in her Department took place in each of the last 10 years; which countries were visited; and how much was spent on such visits in each such year.

Jim Fitzpatrick: This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Information regarding ministerial travel is published annually by the Government and can be found in the Libraries of the House and can also be accessed at
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/ministers.aspx
	The publication dates back to financial year 1997-98 and lists all overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of 500 as well as the total cost of all ministerial travel overseas.
	All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code and the Ministerial Code.

Fair Trade Initiative

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what her Department's policy is on the use of fair trade goods  (a) in staff catering facilities and  (b) at official departmental functions and meetings; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport does not purchase food or drink centrally.
	At our main London HQ building fair trade goods are available for purchase in the staff restaurant and only fair trade teas and coffees are served at official meetings.
	All procurement within the Department is undertaken in line with the EU's procurement rules and to obtain value for money.

Ferries: Licensing

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will review the qualifying service time of 120 days minimum for candidates working on ferries in Category C waters as set out in the new National Boatmasters' Licence (Merchant Shipping Notice 1808); and what steps is she taking to help Category C ferry operators who operate on a part-time seasonal basis to recruit boatmasters who can satisfy the new service time requirements.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government are reviewing the provisions of the regulations that implement the Boatmasters' Licence. This review will take account of the circumstances in which many small and seasonal operators on limited tidal watersincluding Category C watersoperate. Any proposed changes will be subject to consultation with those affected.

Heathrow Airport: Archaeology

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will list the 16 undesignated sites of archaeological importance identified as at risk of substantial disturbance referred to in Annex B, paragraph 2.31, of the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport consultation document; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 16 January 2008
	A map has been placed in the Libraries of the House showing the location of the undesignated sites of archaeological importance referred to in Annex B, paragraph 2.31 of the 'Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport' consultation document. The sites referred to are those on the map wholly or partly within the hatched area, which indicates the illustrative Heathrow airport boundary with a third runway, as proposed by BAA for consideration in the consultation document.

Heathrow Airport: Archaeology

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects to answer question 179435 tabled by the hon. Member for Putney on 11 January 2008 for named day answer on 16 January 2008, on archaeological sites and proposals contained in the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport public consultation document; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I replied to the hon. Member's earlier question today.

Heathrow Airport: Nature Conservation

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects to answer question 179436 tabled by the hon. Member for Putney on 11 January 2008 for named day answer on 16 January 2008, on sites of significant importance for nature conservation and the proposals contained in the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport public consultation document; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The hon. Member received a reply on 6 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1155W.

Lorries: Accidents

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents involving heavy goods vehicles were reported to the police in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and of these how many involved foreign-registered heavy goods vehicles.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of reported personal injury road accidents involving (i) at least one heavy goods vehicle and (ii) at least one foreign registered heavy goods vehicle in Great Britain in 2002 to 2006 is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number of accidents 
			   Involving at least one HGV( 1)  Involving at least one foreign registered HGV( 1) 
			 2002 12,427 (2) 
			 2003 12,205 (2) 
			 2004 11,542 (2) 
			 2005 11,162 1,098 
			 2006 10,466 1,041 
			 (1) Heavy goods vehicle  (2) Data not available 
		
	
	This information is published in the Department's annual publication 'Road Casualties Great Britain', available at
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/accidents/casualtiesgbar/
	Data are not available for foreign registered vehicles prior to 2005.

Lorries: Accidents

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people have been  (a) killed and  (b) injured as a result of an accident involving a foreign heavy goods vehicle in each of the last five years; and how many of these injuries have been attributed by the police to the existence of a blind-spot in the off-side mirror.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of casualties who have been  (a) killed and  (b) injured resulting from a reported personal injury road accident involving at least one foreign registered HGV in GB in 2005 to 2006 is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number of casualties 
			   Killed  Injured( 1) 
			 2005 33 1,507 
			 2006 44 1,322 
			 (1) Serious or slight. 
		
	
	Data are not available on foreign registered vehicles prior to 2005. This information is available in table 53 of the Department's annual publication 'Road Casualties Great Britain' at
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/accidents/casualtiesgbar/
	The number of injuries that have been attributed by the police to the existence of a blind-spot in the off-side mirror is not available.

Lorries: Foreign Companies

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the number of heavy goods vehicles on roads in England which were registered abroad in each of the last three years; and what proportion of heavy goods vehicles on roads in England this represented in each year.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is not available.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency: Standards

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to complete its review of oral examinations in the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping system.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has sent a survey to stakeholders and candidates about its review of the oral examinations in the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping system.
	Responses are due by 31 March 2008 and the MCA hopes to complete the review in the summer.

National Security Strategy

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what role her Department has played in drafting the National Security Strategy; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport is working closely with the Cabinet Office and other interested Departments and agencies to produce the National Security Strategy.

Railway Stations: Disabled

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of levels of compliance with disability access requirements of railway stations in Worcestershire; and when such stations which do not comply with the requirements will be modified to conform with them.

Tom Harris: The Department does not assess the compliance of railway stations with Part 3 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Station operators are required to take reasonable steps to ensure that disabled people do not find it impossible or unreasonably difficult to access their services. Operators are responding to these duties, but where a disabled person believes that they have been discriminated against contrary to Part 3 they can bring a claim against the operator.
	In addition, Worcester Shrub Hill and Kidderminster have been included in the main access for all programme and Alvechurch, Barnt Green and Evesham have been offered funding from the programme for smaller scale access improvements.

Railways: Subsidies

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what subsidy from the public purse was received for each rail franchise since 1997.

Tom Harris: Prior to 2005-06 this information was published by the Strategic Rail Authority in their annual report and accounts. Since then the data have been published annually in National Rail Trends which is published by the Office of Rail Regulation, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Roads: Accidents

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Answer of 28th January 2008, Official Report, column 48W, on roads: accidents, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the number of road deaths in those areas where road death rates have risen in the last 10 years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 6 February 2008
	The Government's Road Safety Strategy sets out what we are doing to tackle road deaths (and casualties generally) across a range of domains. The latest update of the strategy is in 'Tomorrow's roads: safer for everyone: The second three year review' which can be found on our website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/strategytargets performance/2ndreview/screen .
	In terms of geographical areas where road deaths have risen, it is the responsibility of the local safety partnerships to address the problem. However the Government do provide funding for this work, and indeed in 2007 we provided an additional 110 million funding for road safety work, which was allocated to local authority areas in proportion to the number of deaths and serious injuries.
	The Government monitor national and local trends in deaths and serious injuries. The new road safety delivery board will bring together partners from the agencies that deliver road safety, to ensure that best practice is spread and obstacles to delivery are tackled effectively, especially where casualties are high.

Roads: Construction

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the level of  (a) traffic,  (b) carbon dioxide emissions and  (c) accidents were on the equivalent stretches of road (i) in the 12 months before construction and (ii) in the latest 12 months for which figures are available in respect of each Highways Agency scheme completed since 1997.

Tom Harris: holding answer 31 January 2008
	The Highways Agency is currently undertaking an exercise to provide a table detailing the changes in the following for each scheme in the programme of major schemes:
	Annual average daily total trafficpredicted and observed (one year after opening);
	Carbon dioxide emissionspredicted and observed (opening year);
	Personal injury accidentspredicted and observed (five years after opening).
	These data will be produced in accordance with the Department's New Approach to Appraisal (NATA) and Post Opening Project Evaluation (POPE) methodologies. The carbon emissions will be calculated in line with the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges environmental assessment guidance.
	This exercise is due to completed by the end of March 2008 following which the information will be published on the Agency's website and placed in the Libraries of the House.

Rolling Stock

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 30 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 18-20WS, on rolling stock, what the timetable is for  (a) production and  (b) the allocation to the train operating companies of the additional units; and if she will ensure that the introduction of new rolling stock improves passenger comfort, with particular reference to the Portsmouth Mainline Express service using Desiro 440 units; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The timing of the introduction of the new rolling stock is one of the issues that will be agreed with the train operating companies (including South West Trains) and Network Rail.
	New rolling stock brings additional capacity and comfort to address the growing demand on Britain's railways.

Sea Rescue: Iceland

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will hold discussions with her counterpart in Iceland to improve bi-lateral coastguard co-operation.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is actively working with their counter parts in Iceland to improve coastguard co-operation in the North Atlantic. The Icelandic Minister with responsibility for the Icelandic Coast Guard is visiting Dover Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre in February as part of this process.

Tolls: Road Signs and Markings

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what  (a) sign designs and  (b) broad principles of sign location for the Central London congestion charging scheme have been agreed between her Department and Transport for London;
	(2)  what designs of sign relating to the Central London congestion charging scheme have been authorised under sections 64 and 65 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984; and when such authorisations were granted.

Rosie Winterton: The Department has authorised the design of 28 traffic signs and road markings for the Central London congestion charging scheme under sections 64 and 65 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. These designs have been placed in the Libraries of the House. The following table shows when these authorisations were provided:
	
		
			  Traffic signs (numbers)  Date authorised 
			 1-18 7 August 2002 
			 19-21 29 November 2002 
			 22 6 January 2005 
			 23 14 November 2005 
			 24-28 1 November 2006 
		
	
	In addition, the Department authorised:
	(i) the use of sign number 6 (from above table) with the motorway telephone symbol (Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions diagram 2713.1) (15 January 2003);
	(ii) the legend, avoiding charge, to be placed on advanced direction signs (9 May 2005).
	There are no drawings for these signs.
	The authorisations provided to Transport for London require that the relevant traffic signs be placed on or near roads entering and exiting the scheme; that advanced signs are placed on the main routes in surrounding counties and at 2miles and mile from the boundary; and that repeater signs can be placed within the scheme.

Trains: Taunton

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many train carriages were used by each train operating company for trains stopping at Taunton in  (a) 2007,  (b) 2006 and  (c) 1997.

Tom Harris: Franchised train operators serving Taunton in 2007 were Cross Country (Virgin Trains) and First Great Western (FGW). Most Cross Country trains stopping at Taunton were formed of either four or five carriages and most FGW trains of between one and eight. The position would have been broadly similar after March 2006. The Department does not hold comparable figures for 1997.

JUSTICE

Bail

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's most recent guidance on bail.

Maria Eagle: The most recent guidance relating to bail is Probation Circular 33/2007New Accommodation And Support Service For Bail and Home Detention Curfew. A copy has been placed in the Library.
	It is not for Government to provide guidance to the courts on issues which touch on judicial discretion. Training is provided by the independent Judicial Studies Board, however as the decisions on bail are judicial matters, guidance on how to implement bail is provided in the form of decision of superior courts and The Practice Directions of the Lord Chief Justice.

Circumcisions: Females

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what average sentence was handed down for a person found to have been carrying out female circumcision in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: There were no sentences handed down for the offence of female genital mutilation in the last five years for which annual published sentencing statistics are available.
	Figures for 2007 will be available from autumn 2008.

Departmental Advertising

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of his Department's expenditure was on advertising in each year since establishment.

Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice came into existence on 9 May 2007. Since then it has spent 1.5 million on advertising, representing 0.02 per cent. of its total budget of 9.16 billion for 2007-08.

Departmental Assets

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what departmental assets are planned to be sold in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each asset is; what the expected revenue from each sale is; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The table details the asset description and the book value of each asset that the Ministry of Justice has disposed or plans to dispose of from 2007-08 to 2010-11. The expected revenue is detailed as an annual figure due to the commercial sensitivities attached to the expected revenue of each individual asset.
	We are developing our asset management strategy and a property asset management plan to improve our use of property assets and achieve a better fit with our service delivery model. Those properties that represent poor value, do not fit the business or service delivery model, or are surplus to requirement will be reviewed with a view to disposal and re-use of any receipt to provide facilities that are more efficient and better located. Current disposal plans include the phasing out of quarters previously used to house prison staff and some rationalisation where we have courts or tribunals in the same vicinity. Local consultation is required before closure of courts where this would remove the facility from a town.
	
		
			  Ministry of Justice planned disposals 2007-08 to 2010-11 
			  Asset description  Book value (000) 
			  2007-08  
			 Land and Building, Wellingborough  
			 Land and Building, Grendon 145.00 
			 Land and Building, Parkhurst 125.00 
			 Land and Building, Rochester 165.00 
			 Land and Building, Kingston 200.00 
			 Land and Building, Feltham 215.00 
			 Land and Building, Longlartin  
			 Land and Building, Reading 195.00 
			 Land and Building, Ashwell 110.00 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs 395.00 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs 360.00 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs 350.00 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs 335.00 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs 365.00 
			 Land and Building, The Mount 245.00 
			 Land and Building, The Mount 265.00 
			 Land and Building, Styal 320.00 
			 Land and Building, Longlartin  
			 Land and Building, Birmingham 155.00 
			 Land and Building, Eastwood Park 185.00 
			 Land and Building, Dover 115.00 
			 Land and Building, Pentonville 400.00 
			 Land and Building, Erlestoke 160.00 
			 Land and Building, Pentonville 495.00 
			 Land and Building, Wandsworth 615.00 
			 Land and Building, Feltham 185.00 
			 Land and Building, Coldingley 240.00 
			 Land and Building, Brixton 180.00 
			 Land and Building, Brixton 150.00 
			 Land and Building, Brixton 140.00 
			 Land and Building, Gartree  
			 Land and Building, Blaenau Gwent  
			 Land and Building, Flax Bourton  
			 Land and Building, Blackwood  
			 Land and Building, Newtown  
			 Land, Aldington  
			 Land, Onley  
			 Land, Fetherstone  
			 Land, Stocken  
			 Land, Tudworth  
			 Land, Rochester  
			 Land, Wandsworth  
			 Land, Frankley Farm 250.00 
			 Land, Standford Hill 295.00 
			  Received revenue for 2007-08 9,884 
			   
			  2007-08  
			 Land and Building, Reading 198.00 
			 Land and Building, Gartree 165.00 
			 Land and Building, Dartmoor 88.00 
			 Land and Building, Liverpool 150.00 
			 Land and Building, Lindholme 100.00 
			 Land and Building, Hindley  
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs 335.00 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs 360.00 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs 340.00 
			 Land and Building, Highpoint  
			 Land and Building, Highpoint 125.00 
			 Land and Building, Haverigg  
			 Land and Building, Chelmsford 235.00 
			 Land and Building, Wayland  
			 Land and Building, Norwich 165.00 
			 Land and Building, Leeds 220.00 
			 Land and Building, Winchester 260.00 
			 Land and Building, Onley 130.00 
			 Land and Building, Brixton 250.00 
			 Land and Building, Highdown 390.00 
			 Land and Building, Feltham 225.00 
			 Land and Building, Feltham 230.00 
			 Land and Building, Pentonville 255.00 
			 Land and Building, Brixton 265.00 
			 Land and Building, Brixton  
			 Land and Building, Brixton  
			 Land and Building, Brixton  
			 Land and Building, Brixton  
			 Land and Building, Brixton  
			 Land and Building, Brixton  
			 Land, Stocken  
			 Land and Building, Barnet 988.00 
			 Land and Building, Barnet 1,149.00 
			 Land and Building, Bristol 10,676.00 
			 Land and Building, Cheltenham 708.00 
			 Land and Building, Epsom 1,496.00 
			 Land and Building, Epsom 1,003.00 
			 Land and Building, Gravesend 297.00 
			 Land and Building, Manchester 2,096.00 
			 Land and Building, Salisbury 1,399.00 
			 Land and Building, London 10,042.00 
			 Land and Building, Maidstone 1,340.00 
			 Land and building, Sleaford 718.00 
			 Land and Building, Bedford  
			 Land and Building, New Mills 100.00 
			 Land, The Mount  
			 Land, Wayland  
			 Land, Hewell Grange  
			 Land, Shrewsbury  
			 Land, Exeter  
			 Land, Leyhill 1,325.00 
			 Land, Cannock  
			 Land, Channings Wood  
			 Land, Channings Wood  
			 Land, Portland  
			 Land, Huntercombe  
			 Land, Full Sutton  
			 Land, Full Sutton  
			 Land, Camphill  
			 Land, Ranby  
			 Land, Aylesbury  
			 Land, Aylesbury  
			 Land, Onley  
			 Land, Parkhurst  
			 Land, Onley  
			 Land, Birmingham  
			 Land, Coldingley  
			 Land, Send  
			 Land, Sudbury  
			 Land, Gringley  
			 Land, London 1,025.00 
			  Expected revenue for 2007-08( 1) 63,373 
			   
			  2008-09  
			 Land and Building, Chelmsford 265.00 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs 420.00 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs 215.00 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs 215.00 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs 215.00 
			 Land and Building, Pentonville 500.00 
			 Land and Building, Pentonville 2,275.00 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs  
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs  
			 Land and Building, Durham 3,330.00 
			 Land and Building, Land Sales  
			 Land and Building, Stoke Heath  
			 Land and Building, Everthorpe  
			 Land and Building, Everthorpe  
			 Land and Building, Standford Hill  
			 Land and Building, Guys Marsh  
			 Land and Building, Eastwood Park  
			 Land and Building, Erlestoke  
			 Land and Building, Rochester  
			 Land and Building, Fetherstone  
			 Land and Building, Usk  
			 Land and Building, Lindholme 1,000.00 
			 Land and Building, Stocken  
			 Land and Building, Deerbolt  
			 Land and Building, Shrewsbury  
			  Expected revenue for 2008-09 11,322 
			   
			  2009-10  
			 Land, Warrington  
			 Land, Huntercombe  
			 Land, Lowdham Grange  
			 Land and Building, Edinburgh 613.00 
			 Land and Building, Edinburgh 1,276.00 
			 Land and Building, Sheffield 688.00 
			  Expected revenue for 2009-10 4,745 
			   
			  2010-11  
			 Land, Littlehey  
			 Land, Littlehey  
			  Expected revenue for 2010-11 430 
			 (1 )One surplus property in Bedford, with an asset value of 101,000 is to be leased.  Note: Not all the entries include book values. Where we are selling land and that land is only part of a single asset e.g. a parcel of land that forms only a small part of a farm, the land being sold will not have an independent asset identity or value. When sold we will offset some value against the main asset for accounting purposes. If we retain land to be sold, for whatever reason, longer than a year, it will go on our surplus schedule and will be valued at market value whereupon it will take on an asset identity of its own.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he has taken to reduce his Department's carbon dioxide emissions in 2008-09.

Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice is currently developing a strategy that will enable the office estate to achieve and maintain a carbon neutral status by 2012. To increase energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions in 2008-09 the Department is focusing its efforts on efficient operations and maintenance of the existing estate, while working towards a mandatory energy efficiency standard for new builds and refurbishment as part of Building Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM).
	In addition, energy awareness will be high on the agenda with campaigns throughout the estate and the Department will work with the Carbon Trust in prisons and courts.

Departmental ICT

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the  (a) start date,  (b) original planned completion date,  (c) current expected completion date,  (d) planned cost and  (e) current estimated cost is for each information technology project being undertaken by his Department and its agencies; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The DISC contracts provide operational IT systems for the Ministry of Justice headquarters, Her Majesty's Courts Service and some areas of the Tribunals Service. These contracts support a portfolio of business change activities which are aimed at improving services to our customers and making them more efficient. The contracts were awarded in 2006 for seven years and their estimated total value is 500 million.
	The Department also has a programme of IT enabled business change aimed at delivering improvements across the criminal justice system (CJS) and National Offender Management Services (NOMS). The estimated costs for the programme across the CJS until March 2009 is 64 million. The investment programme for NOMS until 2010-11 is 447 million.

Departmental ICT

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) male and  (b) female members of staff in his Department were issued with personal digital assistants in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The Department does not hold a comprehensive record for this information. Those records which are held show that personal digital assistants have been issued to  (a) 53 male members of staff and  (b) 16 female members of staff.

Departmental Land

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what land surplus to his Department's requirements it is  (a) selling,  (b) leasing and  (c) intending to (i) sell and (ii) lease; and what the size and name of each relevant site is.

Maria Eagle: Those properties that represent poor value, do not fit the business or service delivery model, or are surplus to requirement will be reviewed with a view to disposal and re-use of any receipt to provide facilities that are more efficient and better located.
	The table lists the properties that the Ministry of Justice has sold in 2007-08 or is in the course of selling, and those we plan to dispose of from 2008-09 to 2010-11. There are plans to grant a lease on one property in Bedford with an area of 6,900 square metres.
	Current disposal plans include the phasing out of quarters previously used to house prison staff and some rationalisation where we have courts or tribunals in the same vicinity. Local consultation is required before closure of courts where this would remove the facility from a town.
	
		
			  Ministry of Justice planned property disposals 2007-08 to 2010-11 
			  Asset description  Size  (sq. m) 
			  Already sold 2007-08  
			 Land and Building, Wellingborough (1) 
			 Land and Building, Grendon (1) 
			 Land and Building, Parkhurst (1) 
			 Land and Building, Rochester (1) 
			 Land and Building, Kingston (1) 
			 Land and Building, Feltham (1) 
			 Land and Building, Longlartin (1) 
			 Land and Building, Reading (1) 
			 Land and Building, Ashwell (1) 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs (1) 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs (1) 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs (1) 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs (1) 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs (1) 
			 Land and Building, The Mount (1) 
			 Land and Building, The Mount (1) 
			 Land and Building, Styal (1) 
			 Land and Building, Longlartin (1) 
			 Land and Building, Birmingham (1) 
			 Land and Building, Eastwood Park (1) 
			 Land and Building, Dover (1) 
			 Land and Building, Pentonville (1) 
			 Land and Building, Erlestoke (1) 
			 Land and Building, Pentonville (1) 
			 Land and Building, Wandsworth (1) 
			 Land and Building, Feltham (1) 
			 Land and Building, Coldingley (1) 
			 Land and Building, Brixton (1) 
			 Land and Building, Brixton (1) 
			 Land and Building, Brixton (1) 
			 Land and Building, Gartree (1) 
			 Land and Building, Blaneau Gwent (1) 
			 Land and Building, Flax Bourton (1) 
			 Land and Building, Blackwood (1) 
			 Land and Building, Newtown (1) 
			 Land, Aldington (2) 
			 Land, Onley (2) 
			 Land, Fetherstone (2) 
			 Land, Stocken (2) 
			 Land, Tudworth (2) 
			 Land, Rochester (2) 
			 Land, Wandsworth (2) 
			 Land, Frankley Farm (2) 
			 Land, Standford Hill (2) 
			   
			  Being marketed/expected disposal 2007-08  
			 Land and Building, Reading (1) 
			 Land and Building, Gartree (1) 
			 Land and Building, Dartmoor (1) 
			 Land and Building, Liverpool (1) 
			 Land and Building, Lindholme (1) 
			 Land and Building, Hindley (1) 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs (1) 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs (1) 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs (1) 
			 Land and Building, Highpoint (1) 
			 Land and Building, Highpoint (1) 
			 Land and Building, Haverigg (1) 
			 Land and Building, Chelmsford (1) 
			 Land and Building, Wayland (1) 
			 Land and Building, Norwich (1) 
			 Land and Building, Leeds (1) 
			 Land and Building, Winchester (1) 
			 Land and Building, Onley (1) 
			 Land and Building, Brixton (1) 
			 Land and Building, Highdown (1) 
			 Land and Building, Feltham (1) 
			 Land and Building, Feltham (1) 
			 Land and Building, Pentonville (1) 
			 Land and Building, Brixton (1) 
			 Land and Building, Brixton (1) 
			 Land and Building, Brixton (1) 
			 Land and Building, Brixton (1) 
			 Land and Building, Brixton (1) 
			 Land and Building, Brixton (1) 
			 Land and Building, Brixton (1) 
			 Land, Stocken (2) 
			 Land and Building, Barnet 696 
			 Land and Building, Barnet 562 
			 Land and Building, Bristol 1,800 
			 Land and Building, Cheltenham 460 
			 Land and Building, Epsom 1,270 
			 Land and Building, Epsom 1,380 
			 Land and Building, Gravesend 606 
			 Land and Building, Manchester 1,088 
			 Land and Building, Salisbury 2,300 
			 Land and Building, London 13,304 
			 Land and Building, Maidstone 52,500 
			 Land and Buildings, Sleaford 430 
			 Land and Buildings, Bedford 500 
			 Land and Buildings, New Mills 1,320 
			 Land, The Mount (2) 
			 Land, Wayland (2) 
			 Land, Hewell Grange (2) 
			 Land, Shrewsbury (2) 
			 Land, Exeter (2) 
			 Land, Leyhill (2) 
			 Land, Cannock (2) 
			 Land, Channings Wood (2) 
			 Land, Channings Wood (2) 
			 Land, Portland (2) 
			 Land, Huntercombe (2) 
			 Land, Full Sutton t (2) 
			 Land, Full Sutton (2) 
			 Land, Camphill (2) 
			 Land, Ranby (2) 
			 Land, Aylesbury (2) 
			 Land, Aylesbury (2) 
			 Land, Onley (2) 
			 Land, Parkhurst (2) 
			 Land, Onley (2) 
			 Land, Birmingham (2) 
			 Land, Coldingley (2) 
			 Land, Send (2) 
			 Land, Sudbury (2) 
			 Land; Gringley (2) 
			 Land, London (2) 
			   
			  2008-09  
			 Land and Building, Chelmsford (1) 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs (1) 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs (1) 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs (1) 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs (1) 
			 Land and Building, Pentonville (1) 
			 Land and Building, Pentonville (1) 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs (1) 
			 Land and Building, Wormwood Scrubs (1) 
			 Land and Building, Durham (1) 
			 Land and Building, Land sales (1) 
			 Land and Building, Stoke Heath (1) 
			 Land and Building, Everthorpe (1) 
			 Land and Building, Everthorpe (1) 
			 Land and Building, Standford Hill (1) 
			 Land and Building, Guys Marsh (1) 
			 Land and Building, Eastwood Park (1) 
			 Land and Building, Erlestoke (1) 
			 Land and Building, Rochester (1) 
			 Land and Building, Fetherstone (1) 
			 Land and Building, Usk (1) 
			 Land and Building, Lindholme (1) 
			 Land and Building, Stocken (1) 
			 Land and Building, Deerbolt (1) 
			 Land and Building, Shrewsbury (1) 
			   
			  Planned disposals for 2009-10  
			 Land, Warrington (2) 
			 Land, Huntercombe (2) 
			 Land, Lowdham Grange (2) 
			 Land and Building, Edinburgh  
			 Land and Building, Edinburgh  
			 Land and Building, Sheffield  
			  Planned disposals for 2010-11  
			 Land, Littlehey (2) 
			 Land, Littlehey (2) 
			 (1 )Many of the sites are former staff quarters involving residential property or garages and size details are not available. (2) Other sites identified as land include farm land or plots without buildings, often adjacent to prisons.  Note: Not all the entries include book values. Where we are selling land and that land is only part of a single asset e.g. a parcel of land that forms only a small part of a farm, the land being sold will not have an independent asset identity or value. When sold we will offset some value against the main asset for accounting purposes. If we retain land to be sold, for whatever reason, longer than year, it will go on our surplus schedule and will be valued at Market Value whereupon it will take on an asset identity of its own. Site size is included where known.

Departmental Recycling

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his Department's policy is on recycling.

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recycling scheme is in operation in each building within his Department.

Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice is currently implementing its waste management strategy, which clearly sets out the policy and fully demonstrates how recycling is to be performed across the estate.
	 MoJ Headquarters
	Recycling facilities have increased within all MoJ Headquarters sites in recent months. Bins are placed on all floors at all sites across the MoJ HQ Estate for the following itemswhite paper, mixed paper and cardboard, plastic bottles and cans, and glass bottles. The following materials are now recycled through designated contractors across the HQ Estatewhite paper, coloured paper, cardboard, plastics, aluminium cans, glass, batteries, toner bottles, toner cartridges, disposable coffee cups and other ad-hoc materials, such as IT equipment and office furniture.
	In addition all local management and facilities managers are encouraged to operate effective recycling schemes on site.
	Delivery agencies of MoJ (incl. NOMS, HMPS, HMCS and Tribunals):
	 Her Majesty's Court Service
	Following a full waste management review of the estate, HMCS have implemented a waste management reporting action plan within regions across the estate. The aim of the action plan is to create a system which enables full legal compliance, works towards long term savings and allows HMCS to meet the waste minimisation and recycling targets in Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate.
	 Tribunals Service
	The Tribunals Service is committed to recycling and is currently implementing the Ministry of Justice waste management strategy, with the aim of achieving and maintaining a standard of best waste management practice.
	 Her Majesty's Prison Service/National Offender Management Service
	To date, 80 prisons have an operational waste management unit, separating out materials for re-use, recycling, composting and, for the residue, responsible disposal. 54 prisons completed performance monitoring returns for the first half of this financial year (2007-08), reporting a total of 7,403 tonnes of controlled waste generated, with 2,948 tonnes being diverted away from disposal for re-use, composting or recycling. An average recycling rate of 40 per cent. was achieved, exceeding the Prison Service target to reuse, recycle or recover 35 per cent. of waste generated by 31 March 2007.
	More detailed information on the development and performance of waste management activities at public sector managed prisons is included within the HM Prison Service Sustainable Development Report, which is issued annually and can be found in the House of Commons Library.

Domestic Violence: Sentencing

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what percentage of those convicted of domestic violence offences were  (a) fined and  (b) given custodial sentences in each police authority area in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: It is not possible to identify separately domestic violence offences on the Court Proceedings Database as the circumstances of offences are not collected centrally.

E-Conveyancing Pilot

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the timetable is for the (a) implementation and  (b) review of the e-conveyancing pilot.

Michael Wills: The implementation plan for the electronic conveyancing programme is constantly reviewed and updated to ensure that each new service and product is fully tested and evaluated and that customer feedback is taken on board. The latest revision of Land Registry's business case for the programme estimates that the programme of work will be fully implemented in 2014-15.
	There will not be a single electronic conveyancing pilot: rather there will be a series of pilots designed to test the performance of individual services, which will, in time, comprise a larger e-conveyancing service.

Electoral Register

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of registered electors in each parliamentary constituency in England and Wales opted to be excluded from the edited electoral roll in each year since 2002.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice does not hold figures on the number of registered electors who opt to be excluded from the edited electoral register. However, the Office for National Statistics will, for the first time, be collecting this information based on the published electoral register of December 2007. I understand that this information will be placed in the House of Commons Library after 28 February.

Fair Trade Initiative

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his Department's policy is on the use of fair trade goods  (a) in staff catering facilities and  (b) at official departmental functions and meetings; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Catering services to meet my Department's requirements are contracted out and provided by commercial suppliers.
	Within the objective of achieving best value, we continue to ensure that our suppliers are actively encouraged to support and make use of fair trade produce.
	My Department will continue to do all it can to promote fair trade through its contracting activities.

Fatal Accident Injury System

Adam Ingram: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2007,  Official Report, column 906W, on Fatal Accident Injury System, 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of outstanding coroners' inquests into deaths of armed services' personnel overseas which could have been dealt with in Scotland;
	(2)  how many meetings have taken place between his Department and the Scottish Executive to discuss changes to the Fatal Accident Injury System.

Maria Eagle: There is currently no provision under Scottish law for the Lord Advocate to authorise fatal accident inquiries into deaths, including those in military service, outside Scotland. It is an established principle in England and Wales that where multiple deaths occur in the same incident jurisdiction is retained by the coroner to whom the deaths are reported. On this basis we estimate that there are currently three outstanding coroner's inquests into single service deaths which might have been transferred to the Lord Advocate, had provision existed. Ministry of Justice officials and Scottish Executive officials met on 14 December 2007 to discuss options for enabling investigations into the deaths abroad of service personnel to take place in Scotland, where, that would be in the interests of the families of the deceased. These discussions are continuing.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to answer the letter to him dated 18 December 2007, from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Paul Lang.

Jack Straw: I apologise for the delay. I will respond to the right hon. Member shortly.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to answer the letter to him dated 17 December 2007, from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Gerard Meredith.

Jack Straw: I replied to the right hon. Member on 4 February 2008. I apologise for the delay.

Ministry of Justice: Reorganisation

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 29 January 2008, on the Ministry of Justice (Reorganisation), what steps he has taken to translate the documentation relating to changes in the Welsh Prison and Probation Service into the Welsh language.

Maria Eagle: We are committed to ensuring that all materials directed at the public in Wales will be published and printed in a bilingual form where reasonably practicable; otherwise documents will be available in separate English and Welsh versions at the same time.
	In common with other documents issued by the Ministry of Justice, a translation of the prison policy update briefing paper into Welsh is available on request. The details of how to request alternative formats, including translation, is printed on the cover of the document.
	No other documentation following the written ministerial statement has been produced yet.

Offender Management Service: Trade Unions

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what consultations he has had with trades union representatives on the restructuring process of the Offender Management Service in Wales.

David Hanson: Prison and probation trade unions are regularly consulted through the NOMS Joint Council, which is chaired by the NOMS chief executive. In addition, while it was not possible to consult on the detail of the restructuring prior to the announcement because of the need to first inform Parliament, the organisational review team met with members of NAPO in October at their request.
	Since the announcement, the probation service consultative council meeting on January 30, chaired by the Director of probation, included a full briefing on the implications of the re-structuring, as did the meeting of the NOMS Joint Council on January 31. The Director General of the prison service wrote to all prison trade unions on the day of announcement, and spoke with representatives from the POA and the PGA to talk them through what was being planned and commit to ongoing consultation
	Moving forward, the trade unions will be fully involved in the development of the next stage of design as part of the normal consultative processes. Consultation with the trade unions will continue as changes are implemented. There is ongoing consultation/dialogue which will continue as reform is implemented.

Offenders: Housing

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the average daily number of persons accommodated under the bail accommodation and supervision scheme was in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many properties Clearsprings has  (a) provided and  (b) contracted to provide in each (i) Welsh and (ii) English region.

Jack Straw: The caseload of persons accommodated at 5 February was 242. On 31 January it was 243.
	The contractor is required to provide bed spaces as opposed to a specified number of properties. The numbers of bedspaces currently required and the numbers provided in Wales and in each of the English regions are in the following table:
	
		
			  Region  Bed spaces provided  Contracted to provide 
			 East of England 42 57 
			 East Midlands 66 80 
			 London 99 92 
			 North East 56 50 
			 North West 67 95 
			 South East 40 76 
			 South West 47 52 
			 Wales 43 40 
			 West Midlands 98 105 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 25 43 
			 Total 583 690 
		
	
	In some regions the number provided exceeds the current requirement because the requirement has been reduced from that initially specified. The scheme endeavours to return people to their home area unless there is a reason not to. The accommodation requirement is based on the location of courts and prisons and data on prisoner origins. Both the requirement and the distribution are reviewed regularly and adjusted in response to demand.

Post-Mortems: Children

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans his Department has to reform the Coroners Act 1988 and the restrictions regarding moving infants' and children's bodies for post mortem examinations; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to my answer given today.

PricewaterhouseCoopers

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department has awarded any contracts to PricewaterhouseCoopers since 2000.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice was established on 9 May 2007. For the years from 2000-01 to 2006-07, where information is available for contracts awarded to PricewaterhouseCoopers by the former Department for Constitutional Affairs, and those bodies that were formerly part of the Home Office and which are now part of the Ministry of Justice, it appears in the following tables.
	Information on contracts awarded in the first half of the current financial year across the Ministry of Justice is also provided.
	Engaging consultancy support offers the Ministry of Justice a fast and flexible way of obtaining skills and experience that are not available in-house. Additionally, it is an efficient and cost-effective way of meeting ad hoc requirements and provides better value for money than expanding our permanent work force.
	The Department uses appropriate competitive processes when seeking to engage consultants. Additionally, it is Department policy:
	to make the most of skills and expertise available in-house by seeking to use such resource as a first option;
	where external resource is used, to maximise the benefits from such expenditure by getting a good deal and managing the contract for value; and
	to comply with good practice and EU rules in how we procure and manage such services.
	
		
			  Former Department for Constitutional Affairs 
			  Financial year  Number of contracts awarded to PWC  Net value () 
			 2000-01 1 33,000 
			 2001-02 1 60,000 
			 2002-03 0 0 
			 2003-04 3 3.1 million 
			 2004-05 3 2.2 million 
			 2005-06 13 1.4 million 
			 2006-07 6 514,000 
		
	
	
		
			  National Offender Management Service( 1) 
			  Financial year  Number of contracts awarded to PWC  Net value ( 000 ) 
			 2000-01 n/a  
			 2001-02 n/a  
			 2002-03 n/a  
			 2003-04 n/a  
			 2004-05 0 0 
			 2005-06 0 0 
			 2006-07 3 224 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) Information not held prior to 2004. 
		
	
	
		
			  HM Prison Service( 1) 
			  Financial year  Number of contracts awarded to PWC  Net value ( 000 ) 
			 2000-01 n/a  
			 2001-02 n/a  
			 2002-03 n/a  
			 2003-04 n/a  
			 2004-05 1 75 
			 2005-06 0 0 
			 2006-07 1 104 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) Information not held prior to 2004. 
		
	
	
		
			  Ministry of Justice 
			  Financial year  Number of contracts awarded to PWC  Net value ( 000 ) 
			 2007-08 (April to September) 4 202

Prison and Probation Service: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the timetable is for each element in the change programme for the new structure for prison and probation services in Wales.

David Hanson: We announced on January 29 that we would merge the office of the Director of Offender Management Wales with the HMPS Area Office for Wales on April 1. It will be for the Director of Offender Management to decide the timetable for any further action needed to consolidate those changes after that date. The overall timetable for the transition from probation boards to probation trusts remains unaffected by the announcement on January 29. There is ongoing consultation/dialogue which will continue as reform is implemented.

Prisoners

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders who come from Wales and are  (a) in prison and  (b) the subject of community penalties are subject to the end to end offender management process.

David Hanson: The information is as follows:
	 ( a) At January 2007 there were 491 offenders intending to return to Wales on release from prison who were subject to end to end offender management.
	 ( b) At 30 September 2007, there were 9,286 offenders being supervised by the probation service in Wales subject to all court orders, all of whom were subject to end to end offender management.
	The information on prisoners returning to Wales is not recorded centrally and has been calculated from probation area returns to the Director of Offender Management in Wales.

Prisoners Release

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people of  (a) Jamaican,  (b) Nigerian,  (c) Vietnamese and  (d) Chinese nationality were released from prison in England in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: Figures for the numbers of Jamaican, Nigerian, Vietnamese and Chinese nationals discharged from determinate sentences on completion of sentence or on licence, from all prison establishments in England between 2002 and 2006 can be found in the following table:
	
		
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 China 40 30 110 250 450 
			 Jamaica 690 1,100 1,190 800 490 
			 Nigeria 180 230 260 350 460 
			 Vietnam 40 50 50 90 80 
			  Note: Excludes discharges following recall after release on licence, non-criminals, persons committed to custody for non-payment of a fine. 
		
	
	For the proportion of total prisoners who are foreign nationals, Council of Europe data on foreign national prisoners held in other major western countries reveal much higher proportions, for example in Austria (43 per cent.), Spain (33 per cent.), Germany (28 per cent.) and France (21 per cent.) than the figure for England and Wales (14 per cent.), based on 2006 population data.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners: Taxis

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2008,  Official Report, column 305W, on prisoners: taxis, how much the Prison Service has spent on taxis in each of the last three years.

Maria Eagle: Taxis are not routinely used for transporting prisoners to and from court or for inter-prison transfers. However, they are used for a variety of individual and short-notice journeys for prisoners, subject to risk assessment, where prison or other transport is not available and where it is cost-effective to do so. This can include journeys for medical treatment where an ambulance is not appropriate, urgent transfers between prisons, and travel to work or community placements where there is no suitable public transport. Taxi fares are normally paid through an account and the costs of journeys undertaken by prisoners cannot be identified separately from official journeys undertaken by staff.

Carter Review Team

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice who the members of the Carter review team are; what qualifications each holds; and what employment experience each has had.

David Hanson: In his report 'Securing the future: Proposals for the efficient and sustainable use of custody in England and Wales', Lord Carter of Coles thanked his team, whom he named. They were Jeremy Marlow, Daniel Flury, Alex Furse, Ian Maris, Camilla Hamilton, Caleb Deeks, Christine Dickinson, Lorna Maden, Nisha de Silva, Jenny Maresh, Ruth Allan, Helen Judge and Melissa Case. Some of these individuals worked full time on Lord Carter's review while others provided information and analysis as required.
	It is not the Government's practice to provide personal details about individual officials. However, the team's background included experience of business planning and development, research and analysis, and policy development and delivery. This experience was gained within a variety of organisations including HM Prison Service, the National Offender Management Service, HM Treasury and the private sector.

Prisons: Chelmsford

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 1 February 2008,  Official Report, column 725W, what assessment he has made of the reasons why the cost per prisoner per annum at HMP Chelmsford is 2,397 above the national average; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: As with all average figures, it follows that a number of the prisons in England and Wales will cost more per prisoner place than the average and a number will cost less. The level of funding in establishments is dependent on a number of factors including building type and location, the role of the establishment and mix of regimes, and the make-up of the population. Chelmsford has a significant young offender population and this contributes to the higher cost per prisoner. At a cost per prisoner of 29,134 Chelmsford falls at approximately halfway between the average cost per prisoner for a male local prison (25,265) and the average cost per prisoner in a male closed young offender institution (32,124).

Regional Offender Manager: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the responsibilities of the Regional Offender Manager is in Wales; and what the responsibilities of the directors of offender management are expected to be.

David Hanson: The current responsibilities of the Director of Offender Management in Wales include:
	providing strategic commissioning leadership;
	driving the Welsh reducing re-offending agenda;
	identifying needs and gaps in provision;
	contracting with local commissioners to deliver offender management and interventions for offenders; and
	holding providers of prison and probation services to account for their delivery responsibilities through negotiated SLAs or contracts.
	After April 1 the Director of Offender Management will be responsible for all the aforementioned, with the added line-management responsibility for the public sector prisons. There is ongoing consultation/dialogue which will continue as reform is implemented.

Regional Offender Manager: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has made to facilitate the merger of the offices of the Regional Offender Manager and the Prison Service Area Manager's office in Wales; and what account has been taken of the different geographical areas covered by those offices.

David Hanson: In the run-up to April 1 2008 NOMS HQ and prison service HQ will provide the necessary logistical support to the office of the Director of Offender Management Wales and the HMPS Area Office for Wales to ensure that the transition is managed smoothly. After April 1 the re-organised NOMS HQ will support the re-organised office of the Director of Offender Management in consolidating the changes as appropriate.
	Currently, the office of the Director of Offender Management Wales is responsible for commissioning services across Wales and for contract management of HMP Pare. The HMPS Area Office is responsible for managing the public sector prisons which are in South Wales. The combined office will be responsible for support to all Offender Management services across Wales. There is ongoing consultation/dialogue which will continue as reform is implemented.

Regional Offender Manager: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff are currently employed in  (a) the Regional Offender Manager's office and  (b) the Prison Service Area Manager's office in Wales; and what the projected staff numbers are in these two offices after the restructuring on 1 April.

David Hanson: 17 staff are currently employed by the Director of Offender Management Wales' office, and 18 staff are currently employed by the Prison Service Area Manager's office in Wales.
	It is not possible at this stage to say how many staff will be employed in the office of the Director of Offender Management after the restructuring on 1 April. It will be for the Director of Offender Management, supported by NOMS HQ, to determine exactly how the new merged office will be structured. There is ongoing consultation/dialogue which will continue as reform is implemented.

Young Offenders: Injuries

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the records kept on injuries in young offender institutions include information on  (a) the nature of the injury sustained,  (b) whether oxygen was administered,  (c) whether the injury resulted in hospitalisation and  (d) whether any subsequent medical treatment was required beyond that administered immediately after the injury was sustained.

David Hanson: Data on assaults, restraints and self harm incidents across the under 18 estate are collected by the Youth Justice Board (YJB). The data show the number of incidents and the severity of the injury (minor or serious). Serious injuries are those requiring hospital treatment. The nature of the injury and whether subsequent medical treatment was required is not recorded by the YJB.
	The Prison Service's Incident Reporting System holds more detailed information on self-harm injuries in young offender institutions. This includes the nature of the injury and the type of treatment administered. However, the narrative form of this information precludes routine statistical analysis.

Young Offenders: Injuries

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the recording of injuries sustained in young offender institutions and secure training centres include recording whether they were caused  (a) by self-harm,  (b) during restraint by prison officers,  (c) during violence between detainees and  (d) in an attempt at suicide.

David Hanson: The Youth Justice Board (YJB) collects data across the under-18 estate on injuries sustained as a result of self-harm, restraint and assault. An attempted suicide would be recorded as an incident of self-harm because is not always possible to know the intent behind an act of self-harm.
	The Prison Service's Incident Reporting System holds more detailed information on self-harm incidents in young offender institutions. This includes the nature of the injury, the type of treatment administered and whether the incident required hospitalisation. However, the narrative form of this information precludes routine statistical analysis.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Coal

Bill Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the average cost was of all imported coal in  (a) 1982,  (b) 1992 and  (c) 2007.

Malcolm Wicks: The price of all imported coal in /tonne is as follows:
	
		
			  /tonne 
			   All imported coal 
			 1982  
			 1992 36.18 
			 2007 50.58 
			  Source: BERR. Data in current terms

Coal

Bill Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the average cost was of  (a) a barrel and  (b) a tonne of coal equivalent of North Sea oil in (i) 1982, (ii) 1992 and (iii) 2007.

Malcolm Wicks: The price of North Sea Oil in  per barrel and coal in /tonne is as follows:
	
		
			   North Sea oil /barrel  Coal /tonne 
			 1982 18.85 44.60 
			 1992 10.94 40.68 
			 2006 32.53 43.63 
			 2007 36.23  
			  Source:  OilBP Statistical Review; coalBERR Quarterly Energy Prices Table 3.1.3. Data in current terms.

Coal

Bill Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the average cost was of  (a) a barrel and  (b) a tonne of coal equivalent of imported oil in (i) 1982, (ii) 1992 and (iii) 2007.

Malcolm Wicks: The price of imported oil in /barrel and coal in /tonne is as follows:
	
		
			   Imported oil /barrel  Coal /tonne 
			 1982  44.60 
			 1992 10.67 40.68 
			 2006 35.17 43.63 
			 2007 36.52  
			  Source:  BERR, Quarterly Energy Prices Table 3.1.3. Data in current terms.

Coal

Bill Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the average cost was of a tonne of coal equivalent of North Sea oil in  (a) 1982,  (b) 1992 and  (c) 2007.

Malcolm Wicks: The price of North Sea gas in p/kWh and coal in /tonne is as follows:
	
		
			  North Sea gas coal 
			   p/kWh  /tonne 
			 1982 0.252 44.60 
			 1992 0.539 40.68 
			 2006 1.303 43.63 
			  Source:  GasBP Statistical Review, coalBERR Quarterly Energy Prices Table 3.1.3. Data in current terms.

Coal

Bill Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the average cost was of a tonne of coal equivalent of imported gas in  (a) 1982,  (b) 1992 and  (c) 2007.

Malcolm Wicks: The price for gas at the NBP (UK delivery) balancing point in p/kWh and for coal in /tonne is as follows:
	
		
			   NBP gas p/kWh  Coal /tonne 
			 1982  44.60 
			 1992  40.68 
			 2006 1.43 43.63 
			 2007 1.02  
			  Note: Although gas was imported into the UK from Norway in 1982 and 1992, it was under long term contracts, the details of which are not public. Some imported gas is supplied under long-terms contracts that may or may not be related to the NBP price.  Source:  gas - Heren; coal - BERR Quarterly Energy Prices Table 3.1.3. Data in current terms.

Coal Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations he has received on the proposed new coal power station at Kingsnorth.

Malcolm Wicks: I received 25 objections direct during the statutory period, including objections from Greenpeace and Scottish Power. A website campaign has led to more than 9,000 objections to the local planning authority and over 1,000 objections to the Prime Minister. The local planning authority, Medway council, decided not to object to the proposed development and notified me of their view at the beginning of the new year.

Coal: Power Stations

Bill Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the average cost of imported coal per tonne for use in power stations and coking plants in  (a) 1982,  (b) 1992 and  (c) 2007.

Malcolm Wicks: Data for coal used in power generation, and for imported coal used in power generation for 2006, are as follows:
	
		
			  /tonne 
			   Coal for power generation  Imported coal for power generation 
			 1982 40.21  
			 1992 45.84  
			 2006 38.06 38.93 
			  Source: BERR, Quarterly Energy Prices Table 3.2.1

Departmental Equality

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much has been spent by his Department  (a) in total and  (b) on staff costs on promoting equality and diversity in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many people are employed by his Department for this purpose.

Gareth Thomas: The Department is committed to equality of opportunity and fair treatment for all staff and to ensuring that diversity considerations are actively built into all the services we provide to the public and the business community.
	Specifically, the Department's Diversity Strategy includes diversity activities and training, budgeted at a cost of 480,000 in total for the current financial year. In addition there are four members of staff within Human Resources and our Policy Advice team involved specifically but not exclusively in the promotion of diversity and equality. The average staff cost relating to these staff over the past year is 98,520.

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many  (a) press and  (b) communications officers his Department employed in each year since establishment.

Gareth Thomas: The number of press officers employed by the Department of Trade and Industry since 1997 are as follows:
	
		
			   Press  officers 
			 1997 20 
			 1998 17 
			 1999 24 
			 2000 25 
			 2001 23 
			 2002 23 
			 2003 23 
			 2004 19 
			 2005 18 
			 2006 17 
			 2007 16 
		
	
	The DTI was reorganised in July 2007. The number of press officers employed by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform since 2007 are as follows:
	
		
			   Press  officers 
			 2007 16 
			 2008 17

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much his Department paid in bonuses to press and communication officers in each of the last 10 years; and what the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest such bonus was in each of those years.

Gareth Thomas: -Bonuses and non pay rewards (including tax and NI for non-pay rewards) paid to press officers in the DTI were:
	
		
			   
			 2003-04 0 Highest: 0 Lowest: 0 
			 2004-05 130.95 Highest: Unknown Lowest: Unknown 
			 2005-06 3,459 Highest: 1,000 Lowest: 50 
			 2006-07 1,150 Highest: 350 Lowest: 200 
		
	
	The Department does not hold financial records for bonuses prior to 2003.

Departmental Whistleblowers

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing have been reported to his Department by departmental staff since 6th June 2006.

Gareth Thomas: There have been no allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing reported under the Department's whistleblowing procedures by departmental staff since 6 June 2006.

Departmental Telephone Services

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by  (a) his Department and  (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.

Gareth Thomas: My Department administers one 0870 telephone number and seven 0845 telephone numbers for public use.
	I have asked the chief executives of the Insolvency Service and Companies House to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of their letters will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
	 Letter from Stephen S peed, dated 7 February 2008:
	The Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has asked me to reply to you directly on behalf of The Insolvency Service in respect of your question (2007/948) asking how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by (a) his Department and (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services.
	The Insolvency Service has three 0845 lines. These are: the Insolvency Service Enquiry Line, the Redundancy Payments Helpline and the Enforcement Hotline.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 7 February 2008:
	I am responding on behalf of Companies House to your recently tabled Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	Companies House's Contact Centre telephone number is 0870 3333636.

Departmental Vehicles

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many vehicles were  (a) owned and  (b) purchased by his Department and its predecessor in each of the last 10 years.

Gareth Thomas: My Department and its predecessor has not owned or purchased any vehicles in the last 10 years.
	Vehicles used by the Department are usually leased and are therefore not owned or purchased by us.

Energy: Prices

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department is taking to reduce energy costs for  (a) vulnerable people and  (b) people on low incomes in (i) west Lancashire and (ii) England.

Malcolm Wicks: Action to reduce energy costs for those on low incomes cuts across several Departments. The Government have a package of measures in place to support vulnerable households to reduce energy costs.
	We have announced that spend on energy efficiency measures for those on low incomes for the period 2008-11 will be in excess of 2.3 billion. Since 2000 the Warm Front programme has helped over 5,500 vulnerable households install energy efficiency measures in west Lancashire. In England as a whole, 1.6 million households have been assisted since the start of the Warm Front scheme.
	In the Energy White Paper we made it clear that we expected energy suppliers to have a proportionate programme of assistance in place for vulnerable customers. Energy companies have responded positively and have recently increased the level of support they provide to vulnerable customers from 40 million to 56 million this winter.

Energy: Prices

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions he has had with energy suppliers on energy prices.

Malcolm Wicks: The Secretary of State has had both bilateral and multilateral meetings with CEOs and senior representatives from the energy supply companies. His last multilateral meeting was on 29 November 2007, hosted by the UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy, where they discussed effective operation of the market, including prices.
	As Energy Minister I met with the supply companies at the end of January specifically to discuss recent price rises and strategies for the protection of the most vulnerable consumers.
	In addition, the Government have established the Business Energy Forum, a high-level strategic group involving representatives of the energy industry, national grid and Ofgem, and jointly chaired by BERR and CBI. This group has looked at developments in energy globally and the impact of world prices on our markets. I attended the last meeting in late October.

Engineering

Bill Olner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many people were employed in the engineering sector in 2007.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 7 February 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on the number of people employed in the engineering sector in 2007. (182946)
	The definitive source for the number of people employed is normally the Labour Force Survey (LFS). However, because of the interest in the engineering sector an estimate of UK employee jobs has been compiled from the Short-Term Employment Surveys (STES).
	The data provided is collected from the STES for June 2007. It is classified by the industry definition Engineering and Allied Industries, taken from the Index of Production First Release. This is defined as the combined sub-sections: DK, DL and DM (Standard Industry Codes 29, 30-33, 34, 35).
	Table 1, attached, provides an estimate of jobs in Engineering and Allied Industries in the United Kingdom for the month of June 2007.
	As with any survey, results from the STES are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  PQ123 Employee jobs in the engineering sector June 2007 United Kingdom (June 2007), not seasonally adjusted 
			  thousand 
			  Employee jobs by class  Total employee jobs 
			 DK 29 Manufacture of machinery and equipment N.E.C 270 
			 DL 30-33 Manufacture of electrical and optical equipment 305 
			 DM 34-35 Manufacture of transport equipment 308 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are for the month of June in 2007. 2. As with any survey, results from the STES are subject to a margin of uncertainty.  Source: Short Term Employment Surveys (STES)

Fireworks

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what plans he has to implement the European Union directive on the sale of pyrotechnic articles; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 5 February 2008
	We intend to implement the Directive by the due date of 4 January 2010, and preparatory discussions with the relevant organisations have begun.

Fuel Poverty

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of recent trends in  (a) gas and  (b) electricity prices on the number of people affected by fuel poverty.

Malcolm Wicks: Most recent figures show that there were approximately 2.5 million households in fuel poverty in the UK in 2005. This is around 4 million fewer than in 1996, but represents an increase of 0.5 million households since 2004, reflecting the impact of rising energy prices on fuel poverty. The following table shows estimated numbers of households in fuel poverty in recent years for both England and the UK:
	
		
			  Level of fuel povertytotal in millions of households 
			   UK  England 
			 1996 6.5 5.1 
			 1998 4.75 3.4 
			 2001 2.5 1.7 
			 2002 2.25 1.4 
			 2003 2 1.2 
			 2004 2 1.2 
			 2005 2.5 1.5 
		
	
	Estimates for the number of households living in fuel poverty in England in 2006 indicate an increase, from 1.5 million in 2005, to 2.4 million in 2006, due to increases in gas and electricity prices. UK figures for 2006 will be available later this year.
	Increases in energy prices since the end of 2006 will result in upward pressures on the numbers in fuel poverty. However, the additional number of households in fuel poverty will also be affected by increases in incomes and energy efficiency levels. These data come from the year long English House Conditions Survey, and it is only when we have this information that we will be able to produce meaningful estimates for these years.

Fuel Poverty

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many people were classified as living in fuel poverty in each of the last three years, broken down by region.

Malcolm Wicks: No regional breakdown of the fuel poverty statistics exists for the last three years. National figures for the most recent three years that have been published are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Estimate of number of fuel poor households in the UK 
			   Million 
			 2003 2 
			 2004 2 
			 2005 2.5 
		
	
	UK figures for 2006 will be available later this year.
	The most recent year for which sub-national estimates were made for number of households in fuel poverty is 2003. The data for 2003 cover regions in England and comes from the Fuel Poverty Indicator dataset (available online at http://www.fuel povertyindicator.org.uk/).
	The following table shows estimates for number of households in fuel poverty in 2003 for each of the Government office regions in England:
	
		
			  Region  Estimated number of fuel poor households (2003) 
			 East Midlands 112,000 
			 Eastern England 132,000 
			 London 162,000 
			 North East 70,000 
			 North West 187,000 
			 South East 187,000 
			 South West 129,000 
			 West Midlands 139,000 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 136,000

Mobile Phones

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what correspondence he has had with the EU Commission on GSM gateway matters since 2003;
	(2)  what correspondence there has been between  (a) Ofcom and  (b) UKREP and the European Commission on GSM gateway matters since 2003.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 5 February 2008
	 My Department has not been able to do exhaustive research in the time available to answer these questions. The Government received a letter from the Commission in February 2005 and a reply was sent in June 2005. A further letter on this subject was sent from the Commission on 21 December 2007. A reply to that letter has not yet been sent. UKREP and Ofcom would have been involved in preparing a reply to the earlier letter and are involved in discussions about the latest correspondence. We have no records of separate correspondence between Ofcom and the Commission.

National Secretariat of the Regional Development Agencies for England

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many staff are employed by the National Secretariat of the Regional Development Agencies for England; what its expenditure was in each of the last five years; and in which offices it is located.

Patrick McFadden: The Secretariat of England's Regional Development Agencies currently employs six full-time and one part-time staff. Its annual expenditure in each of the last five years is shown in the following table. Since the establishment of the RDA Secretariat in 2003, its functions have grown to reflect the increasing requirements upon a co-ordinating function. The RDA Secretariat is currently located in Broadway House, Tothill street, London SW1.
	
		
			   000 
			   Total cost 
			 2002-03 253 
			 2003-04 457 
			 2004-05 505 
			 2005-06 611 
			 2006-07 682

Nuclear Power Stations: Decommissioning

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he has taken to establish accurate estimates of the costs associated with decommissioning nuclear facilities and radioactive remediation of civil nuclear sites.

Malcolm Wicks: Establishing the liability costs for all the sites in the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's (NDA) portfolio is a responsibility of the NDA and is an ongoing and unprecedented process, reflecting the fact that this is the first time that there has been an attempt to systematically catalogue the scale of the UK's civil public nuclear legacy. The latest future cost estimates are published in the NDA's Annual Report and Accounts 2006-07, which is available on their website at:
	www.nda.gov.uk

Post Offices: Closures

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his policy is on how the Post Office should acknowledge or respond to letters on proposed post office closures.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 7 January 2008
	Post Office Ltd. aims to acknowledge and fully consider all letters received during local consultations on post office closure and new outreach proposals. After final decisions have been reached, a decision booklet is issued which contains a summary of the issues and concerns raised and of how these were taken into account in the decisions.

Post Offices: EU Action

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what obligations arising from  (a) the UK's membership of the European Union and ( b) the UK's participation in single market legislation govern the provision of subsidy to the network of Post Office branches; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: All state support for undertakings, whether privately or publicly owned, are subject to the rules laid down in Article 87(1) of the EC treaty. Funding of the Post Office network is therefore subject to the state aid rules and can only be given in compliance with these rules.
	In November 2007 the Commission approved Government plans for support for Post Office Limited.

Post Offices: Leicester

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on how many occasions in the last six months Postwatch met Post Office Ltd to discuss proposed post office closures in Leicester; and who attended these meetings.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Postwatch. I have therefore asked Howard Webber, chief executive of Postwatch, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Postwatch: Finance

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much Postwatch received from public funds in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08.

Patrick McFadden: The Consumer Council for Postal Services (also known as Postwatch) is funded through grant in aid from the Department. Postwatch received 9.681 million in 2006-07 and 8.151 million in 2007-08. The costs are recovered by the Department from the licensed fees paid by operators of postal services.

Regional Development Agencies: Plastic Bags

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many branded plastic bags each regional development agency purchased in the last 24 months; and at what cost.

Patrick McFadden: The information requested is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Trades Union Congress: Political Levy

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what advice or guidance  (a) the Certification Officer and  (b) his Department has produced on whether the Trades Union Congress may engage in political campaigning using funds raised from trades unions' general fund contributions.

Patrick McFadden: Neither the Department nor the Certification Officer has produced advice or guidance on this issue.

Trades Union Congress: Political Levy

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether the Trades Union Congress is classed as a trade union for the purposes of political fund and political levy rules.

Patrick McFadden: Yes.

HEALTH

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bassetlaw of 15 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1145W, on alcoholic drinks: misuse, when the independent review will begin; who will carry it out; and which Government Department will have lead responsibility for it.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has lead responsibility for commissioning the independent review of evidence on the effects of promotion and pricing of alcohol on alcohol-related harm.
	The Department's Policy Research Programme has commissioned a single team comprising different disciplines and expertise from Sheffield University, School of Health and Related Research to carry out the review.
	The review has two phases:
	Phase 1: a systematic review of the evidence from published and grey literature on the relationship between alcohol price, promotion, consumption and harm; and
	Phase 2: a modelling exercise to explore the impact of potential policy changes in this area.
	The review team began work in the first week of January 2008.

Barnet Primary Care Trust: Waiting Lists

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) average and  (b) longest waiting time was for an (i) outpatient appointment and (ii) operation for patients in the Barnet Primary Care Trust area in (1) 2006-07, (2) 2007-08 to date and (3) 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The following tables show the average and longest waiting times for outpatient appointments and operations (inpatient treatment) in the Barnet Primary Care Trust (PCT) area in 2006-07, 2007-08 to date and 1997.
	Today waiting times are at a record low; patients can expect a maximum 13 week wait for their first outpatient appointment and a maximum six month wait for an operation.
	Latest data shows that over half of admitted patients (patients who require admission to hospital for treatment) and over three quarters of non-admitted patients are treated within 18 weeks.
	
		
			  Outpatient waiting statistics concerning the Barnet PCT area time periodsNovember 2007, June 1997 and March 2007: Patients still waiting at the end of the month 
			   Month  Area  Median Waiting Time (weeks)  Longest wait 
			 2007-08 November Barnet PCT 2.8 11 to 12 weeks 
			  
			 2006-07 March Barnet PCT 3.1 11 to 12 weeks 
			  
			 1997-08 June Barnet Health Authority (HA) n/a as not all time bands collected 26+ weeks 
		
	
	
		
			  Inpatient waiting statistics concerning the Barnet PCT area time periodsNovember 2007, March 1997 and march 2007: Patients still waiting at the end of the month 
			   Month  Area  Median Waiting Time (weeks)  Longest wait 
			 2007-08 November Barnet PCT 5.5 25 to 26 weeks 
			  
			 2006-07 March Barnet PCT 6.4 25 to 26 weeks 
			  
			 1996-07 March Barnet HA 12.6 18-20 Months 
			  Notes:  1. Data for the last period (November 2007) include estimates for Barnet and Chase Farm Trust.  2. The figures show the median waiting times for patients still waiting for admission at the end of the period stated. Inpatient waiting times are measure from decision to admit by the consultant to admission to hospital.  3. Median waiting times are calculated from aggregate data, rather than patient level data, and therefore are only estimates of the position on average waits. This should be taken into account when interpreting the data.  4. Median waiting times are not available for outpatient waiting times as this information is not collected by all timebands. The information is collected in two timebands, 13-26 weeks and 26+ weeks, so calculating a median time is not possible. There were 388 patients waiting for more than 26 weeks for outpatient appointments at March 1997 for the Barnet HA area.   Source:  QM08R and monthly monitoring.

Broomfield Hospital: Alcoholic Drinks

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) men and  (b) women were treated at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, for (i) alcohol-related injuries and (ii) alcohol-related illnesses in (A) 1996-97 and (B) 2006-07.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available in the format requested.
	There is not a specific classification for alcohol-related injury.
	Statistics are not held for individual hospitals. Broomfield hospital, Chelmsford, is part of the Mid-Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust for which data are available.
	The following table sets out the numbers of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) at the Mid-Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust where the primary or secondary diagnosis was alcohol related for both males and females in 1996-97 and 2006-07.
	
		
			   1996-97  2006-07 
			 Male 290 551 
			 Female 112 279 
			  Notes: FCE  A FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year.   Data Quality  HES are compiled from data sent by over 300 national health service trusts and primary care trusts in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.   HES Codes  The HES codes that are used to identify alcohol related diagnoses are as follows: Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol; Toxic effect of alcohol; and Alcoholic liver disease.   Assessing growth through time  HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. During the years that these records have been collected by the NHS there have been ongoing improvements in quality and coverage. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time.   Ungrossed Data  Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).   Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care.

Carr-Hill Formula Review

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 24 July 2006,  Official Report, columns 1081-2W, on Carr-Hill Formula Review, whether the review of general medical services funding is complete; what the findings were of the first stage of the review; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: A report on the review of the Carr-Hill formula was published in February 2007. This was followed by a three month consultation with key stakeholders which ended on 11 May 2007 and on which a report was published in September 2007. The review concluded that the formula works reasonably well but that some revisions could be made to make it more robust. We will consider the review's recommendations with other possible options for change to current contractual arrangements in discussion with the British Medical Association's General Practitioners Committee.

Community Care

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what change there has been in the number of people receiving continuing care payments since the publication of the National Framework for Continuing Care on 1 October 2007.

Ivan Lewis: The national health service does not make payments to individuals in receipt of continuing healthcare. Information on the number of people receiving continuing healthcare is collected on a quarterly basis, at end of March, June, September and December. Information for December is not yet available, so it is not possible to assess the change in the number of people receiving continuing healthcare since the introduction of the National Framework for Continuing Healthcare and NHS-Funded Nursing Care.

Community Nurses: Easington

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many community nurses were based in Easington constituency in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006 and  (c) 2007.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. The information requested is not available at constituency level. However, data related to the Easington constituency are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  National health service hospital and community health services: Qualified community nursing staff1 in each specified organisation as at 30 September each specified year 
			  Headcount 
			   2004  2005  2006 
			  991 1,063 1,125 
			 
			 County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 4 11 11 
			 County Durham Primary Care Trust (PCT2) 958 1,022 1,085 
			 Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust 20 15 14 
			 North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust 9 15 15 
			  Notes: 1. Community nurses consists of district nurses, health visitors, school nursing service nurses, community services nurses, practice nurses, community learning disabilities' nurses and community psychiatric nurses. 2. In October 2006 Derwentside PCT, Durham and Chester-Le-Street PCT, Durham Dales PCT, Easington PCT and Sedgefield PCT merged to form County Durham PCT. 3. More accurate validation processes in 2006 have resulted in the identification and removal of 9,858 duplicate non-medical staff records out of the total work force figure of 1.3 million in 2006. Earlier years' figures could not be accurately validated in this way and so will be slightly inflated. The level of inflation in earlier years' figures is estimated to be less than 1 per cent. of total across all non-medical staff groups for headcount figures (and negligible for full-time equivalents). This should be taken into consideration when analysing trends over time.  Sources: 1. The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census. 2. The Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.

Compulsorily Detained Mental Patients

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many inpatients detained under sections  (a) 2,  (b) 3 and  (c) 4 of the Mental Health Act 1983 absconded from psychiatric hospitals in each year since 1997; and from which hospital in each case.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not collected centrally. Absconsions occur when patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 go missing outside of the secure perimeter of a unit, e.g. when on a scheduled visit. Missing patient incidents that originate from inside the perimeter of a secure site are termed escapes or breakouts.
	Absconsions can be either non-serious or serious untoward incidents (SUIs). In relation to mental health patients, an SUI means the absconsion of a patient detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 where a significant risk is posed to the patient or to others. A non-serious absconsion would be where the absconsion is unintentional, due for example to a patient missing a transport connection when returning from leave.
	SUI absconsion reporting is far more stringent than for non-serious absconsions. There must be clear local procedures at each national health service organisation to identify, report and investigate SUIs. Information is collected by each strategic health authority (SHA) about all SUIs reported during each calendar year by month, type and NHS organisation, and is available on request from the SHAs. These requirements do not apply to collecting non-serious absconsion data.

County Durham Primary Care Trust

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the effect on costs of the establishment of the County Durham Primary Care Trust has been; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: County Durham Primary Care Trust (PCT) was established in October 2006 as a result of reconfiguration of services which was part of the Commissioning a Patient Led National Health Service initiative (CPLNHS). The CPLNHS costs and savings for County Durham PCT are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  000 
			  Source  Costs  Savings 
			 2006-07 final accounts 4,118 0 
			 2007-08 Q2 financial returns 488 1,780 
		
	
	There may be other costs associated with the establishment of County Durham PCT which are not part of the CPLNHS initiative.
	After completion, the reconfigurations of PCTs was expected to deliver savings of 250 million every year for reinvestment in frontline services.
	The savings are expected to be realised by the end of 2007 and then every year for reinvestment beginning in 2008-09. We have asked strategic health authorities (SHAs) to oversee the generation of the savings locally. Each SHA has a cost envelope that it should realise but it is for local determination to work out the best way of achieving these savings.

Family Practitioner Services: Rural Areas

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to protect rural GP practices from closure following the establishment of super surgeries.

Ben Bradshaw: We are committed to improving access to general practitioner services for all patients, including those in rural practices. Where changes in the organisation of local primary medical care services are proposed, these are matters that will be determined locally by primary care trusts in association with their strategic health authority.

Fluoride: Water

Bill Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which strategic health authorities in England have undertaken public consultations on adding fluoride to water supplies; and what research projects have been commissioned by his Department since 2000 to investigate water fluoridation and health effects.

Ann Keen: No strategic health authorities have yet undertaken public consultations.
	The Department has commissioned three research studies on fluoridation and health since 2000, 'Water Fluoridation and Health' published by the Medical Research Council in 2002, 'Bioavailability of Fluoride in Drinking Water: a Human Experimental Study' in 2005 published by the University of Newcastle and the use of fluorescent imaging to develop objective and quantitative measures of enamel fluorosis which is currently in progress.

Gambling: Health Services

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much has been provided for the treatment for people diagnosed with gambling-related addictions in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what services are available to assist people with a diagnosed gambling-related addiction.

Ivan Lewis: The information about how much is provided for the treatment of people diagnosed with gambling related addictions is not collected centrally.
	Problem gamblers can access services in primary care and secondary care including specialised mental health and addiction services. There are currently no central plans to provide dedicated services. However, we will continue to monitor the situation and work closely with local healthcare communities who are responsible for assessing and commissioning services to meet the needs of the populations that they serve.

General Practitioners: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of people had a consultation with their GP within 48 hours of requesting an appointment in  (a) Enfield North constituency and  (b) Enfield borough in the latest period for which information is available.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not collected in the format requested. Data are held at primary care trust (PCT) level, not constituency or borough level. The general practitioner (GP) Patient Survey 2007 showed that 79 per cent., of people living in the Enfield PCT area reported having a consultation with their GP within 48 hours of requesting an appointment, compared with a national figure of 86 per cent. 2007 is the latest period for which data is available.
	The public service agreement target is for all patients to have the opportunity to see a GP within 48 hours. GP practices who achieve national access standards as measured by results of the national GP Patient Survey are rewarded. Using the survey data, PCTs are working with local practices to deliver improvements in GP access in areas with the poorest reported satisfaction.

General Practitioners: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GP surgeries there are in  (a) Enfield North constituency and  (b) Enfield Borough.

Ben Bradshaw: Information on general practitioners (GPs) is not held in the format requested.
	Information is available for number of GP practices at primary care trust (PCT) level, and has been provided for Enfield PCT. Latest available data are for September 2006 and is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  GP practices in selected area, as at 30 September 2006 
			   Number 
			 Enfield PCT 62 
			  Note:  Enfield North Constituency is contained within Enfield PCT, Enfield PCT also serves the borough of Enfield.   Source:  The Information Centre for health and social care, (General and Personal Medical Services Statistics).

General Practitioners: Portsmouth

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the funding of general practitioners in Portsmouth for extended opening hours; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: On 4 February 2008, we wrote to all general practitioners (GPs) in England setting out our proposals for funding extended hours services. We hope that GPs will support our proposals to improve services to patients.

Health Hazards: Lighting

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 18 July 2007,  Official Report, column 454W, on health hazards: lighting, if he will take steps to assess the effects of the use of  (a) fluorescent and  (b) low energy light bulbs on those suffering from (i) light sensitivity and (ii) systemic lupus erthromatosis in conjunction with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Ann Keen: The Department of Health currently has no plans, in conjunction with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs or otherwise, to assess the effects of the use of low energy light bulbs on those living with light sensitivity, or lupus.

Health Services

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS trusts have yet to achieve foundation status; and on what date in each case this status is expected to be granted.

Ben Bradshaw: There are now 88 national health service foundation trusts (NHS FTs) in operation, which are listed by Monitor (the statutory name for which is the Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts) further information is available at:
	www.monitor-nhsft.gov.uk/register.php
	Strategic health authorities (SHAs) are required to work with those acute and mental health trusts that have not yet achieved foundation status to address the issues facing their organisations so that they receive the right support to be able to apply for NHS FT status. While all trusts have a timetable to apply for NHS FT status, achieving this status is dependent on securing clear support from the SHA and the Secretary of State and on meeting Monitor's rigorous criteria for authorisation. The Department has been working with SHAs and Monitor to improve the throughput and the success rate of applications. The Government expects all trusts to achieve NHS FT status at the earliest available opportunity.

Health Services: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many non-medical staff are employed by each of the four acute hospital trusts in outer South East London.

Ann Keen: The four acute national health service trusts in outer south-east London are Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust, Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust, Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust and The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust.
	The information requested for these trusts is available in the following table.
	
		
			  NHS hospital and community health services: non-medical staff by main staff group as at 30 September 2006 
			   Headcount 
			 Total of specified organisations 8,805 
			   
			 Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust 2,458 
			 Professionally qualified clinical staff 1,286 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 989 
			 Qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff 297 
			 Qualified allied health professions 141 
			 Qualified healthcare scientists 77 
			 Other qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff 79 
			 Support to clinical staff 866 
			 Support to doctors and nursing staff 724 
			 Support to ST and T staff 142 
			 NHS infrastructure support 306 
			 Central functions 205 
			 Hotel, property and estates 30 
			 Managers and senior managers 71 
			   
			 Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust 2,090 
			 Professionally qualified clinical staff 1,226 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 974 
			 Qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff 252 
			 Qualified allied health professions 127 
			 Qualified healthcare scientists 78 
			 Other qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff 47 
			 Support to clinical staff 653 
			 Support to doctors and nursing staff 551 
			 Support to ST and T staff 102 
			 NHS infrastructure support 211 
			 Central functions 160 
			 Hotel, property and estates 8 
			 Managers and senior managers 43 
			   
			 Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust 1,689 
			 Professionally qualified clinical staff 878 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 673 
			 Qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff 205 
			 Qualified allied health professions 108 
			 Qualified healthcare scientists 61 
			 Other qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff 36 
			 Support to clinical staff 615 
			 Support to doctors and nursing staff 473 
			 Support to ST and T staff 142 
			 NHS infrastructure support 196 
			 Central functions 99 
			 Hotel, property and estates 68 
			 Managers and senior managers 29 
			   
			 The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust 2,568 
			 Professionally qualified clinical staff 1,392 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 1,124 
			 Qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff 268 
			 Qualified allied health professions 114 
			 Qualified healthcare scientists 79 
			 Other qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff 75 
			 Support to clinical staff 659 
			 Support to doctors and nursing staff 512 
			 Support to ST and T staff 147 
			 NHS infrastructure support 517 
			 Central functions 209 
			 Hotel, property and estates 248 
			 Managers and senior managers 60 
			  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care 2006 Non-Medical Workforce Census

Health Services: Private Sector

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many contracts are held between private sector providers of health care and  (a) primary care trusts,  (b) NHS trusts and  (c) NHS foundation trusts.

Ben Bradshaw: The national health service is free to enter into local agreements with independent sector providers and the Department does not collect this information centrally.
	In terms of contracts centrally procured by the Department's Commercial Directorate, the following contracts between the independent sector and the NHS exist.
	
		
			  Wave 1 
			  Scheme  Provider  Lead primary care trust (PCT)/local NHS region 
			 Eccleshill NHS Treatment Centre Nations/Circle Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT 
			 Midlands NHS Treatment Centre Nations/Circle South Staffordshire PCT 
			 Barlborough NHS Treatment Centre PHG Barnsley PCT 
			 Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre UKSH Somerset PCT 
			 Greater Manchester Surgical Centre Netcare Oldham PCT 
			 Peninsula NHS Treatment Centre PHG Plymouth PCT 
			 Bodmin NHS Treatment Centre Ramsay Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 
			 Boston NHS Treatment Centre Ramsay Lincolnshire Teaching PCT 
			 Clifton Park NHS Treatment Centre Ramsay North Yorkshire and York PCT 
			 Cobalt NHS Treatment Centre Ramsay Newcastle PCT 
			 New Hall NHS Treatment Centre Ramsay Southampton City PCT 
			 Blakelands NHS Treatment Centre Ramsay Milton Keynes PCT 
			 Reading NHS Treatment Centre Ramsay Milton Keynes PCT 
			 Horton NHS Treatment Centre Ramsay Oxfordshire PCT 
			 Gainsborough NHS Treatment Centre Ramsay Lincolnshire Teaching PCT 
			 Kidderminster NHS Treatment Centre Interhealth Worcestershire PCT 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside NHS Treatment Centre Interhealth Western Cheshire PCT 
			 Mid Kent NHS Treatment Centre PHG West Kent PCT 
			 North East London NHS Treatment Centre PHG Barking and Dagenham PCT 
			 Mid and South Buckinghamshire NHS Treatment Centre Mercury/Care UK Buckinghamshire PCT 
			 Will Adams NHS Treatment Centre Mercury/Care UK Medway Teaching PCT 
			 St. Mary's NHS Treatment Centre Mercury/Care UK Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 
			 Sussex Orthopaedic NHS Treatment Centre Mercury/Care UK Brighton and Hove City PCT 
			 Havant NHS Diagnostic Service Mercury/Care UK Hampshire PCT 
		
	
	
		
			  Phase 2 
			  Scheme  Provider  Lead PCT/local NHS region 
			 London NHS Diagnostic Service InHealth Netcare Strategic Health Authority (SHA) regions involvedLondon 
			 West Midlands Diagnostic Service (contract terminating 14 February 2008) Care UK SHA regions involvedWest Midlands 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside Electives Spire Healthcare SHA regions involvedNorth West 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Multi Specialty Treatment Centre Spire Healthcare SHA regions involvedNorth East 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire Electives Ramsay SHA regions involvedNorth West, North East, Yorkshire and Humber 
		
	
	The Secretary of State is signatory to contracts centrally procured by the Department's Commercial Directorate.
	Through Wave 1 of the centrally led procurements, operational contracts also include:
	
		
			  Scheme/programme  Provider  Area covered/PCTs 
			 Chlamydia (contract ending 31 March 2008) Boots Chemists London London SHA 
			 Mobile MRI Fast Track Alliance Medical Nationwide 
			 Ophthalmic chain Netcare Nationwide 
		
	
	
		
			  Commuter walk-in centres 
			  Scheme/programme  Provider  Area covered/PCTs 
			 London Canary Wharf Atos Healthcare London SHA 
			 London Liverpool Street Walk in Health London SHA 
			 London Victoria Care UK London SHA 
			 Manchester Piccadilly Atos Healthcare North West SHA 
			 Newcastle Care UK North East SHA 
			 Leeds Netcare Yorkshire and Humber

Health Services: Public Participation

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will increase the budgets for local involvement networks.

Ann Keen: The Department received an allocation of 84 million over three years from HM Treasury to fund the establishment and costs incurred by local involvement networks and has no plans to bid for any further funds. The allocations to local authorities (LAs) were based on two elements used in many similar cases to take account of key geographical factors such as deprivation, sparsity, area costs, etc. The first was a general baseline payment of 60,000 awarded to each LA. The second was calculated according to the Relative Needs Formula, which is used to allocate funds to LAs in other areas of work.

Hospital Telephones

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1002W, on hospital telephones, whether his Department has conducted any assessment of the effect of telephone charges in children's wards on recovery rates.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has not conducted any assessment of the effect of telephone charges in children's wards on recovery rates.
	The cost to make a call from the bedside telephone is 10p per minute. The bedside telephone exists as an additional service, which offers patients more choice than they had in the past. Alternatives, for patients who do not wish to use the bedside telephone service, include the hospital payphones and mobile phones.

Mixed Sex Wards

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of progress towards the elimination of mixed sex wards.

Ann Keen: Guidance to the national health service has always required single-sex accommodation, not wards.
	NHS compliance with Departmental guidance is currently measured in three ways:
	The Standards for Better Health, specifically standards:
	Standard C20b: Healthcare services are provided in environments which promote effective care and optimise health outcomes by being: (b) supportive of patent privacy and confidentiality. In 2007, 96.7 per cent. of trusts reported compliance.
	Standard C13a: Health care organisations have systems in place to ensure that: (a) staff treat patients, their relatives and carers with dignity and respect. In 2007 94.9 per cent. of trusts reported compliance.
	Patient Environment Action Team inspections. Current results show all trusts at least 'acceptable' for privacy and dignity.
	The National Inpatient Survey, 2007 report showed 11 per cent. of in elective patients reported sharing sleeping areas with the opposite sex when they were first admitted.
	Sometimes, the need to treat and admit will take priority over complete segregation. This particularly applies to highly technical and emergency areas such as intensive care unit and admissions units. While the DH will give leadership on this matter, the solutions lie with the NHS.
	The NHS Operating Framework for 2008-09 requires primary care trusts to agree, publish and implement stretching local plans for improvement on mixed sex accommodation, with identified timescales and monitoring mechanisms.

Hospitals: Admissions

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what arrangements are in place for informing hospital staff of the availability of hospital beds in other hospitals;
	(2)  how many staff in a typical hospital are tasked with finding overflow hospital beds in other facilities.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not held centrally. The day-to-day bed management arrangements in national health service hospitals are operational matters that the Department does not routinely collect information about.

Hospitals: Greater London

Derek Conway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many elective in-patients were treated at  (a) Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup,  (b) Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust,  (c) Lewisham Hospitals NHS Trust and  (d) Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07;
	(2)  how many day cases were treated at  (a) Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup,  (b) Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust,  (c) Lewisham Hospitals NHS Trust and  (d) Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07;
	(3)  how many elective-care patients were treated at  (a) Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup,  (b) Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust,  (c) Lewisham Hospitals NHS Trust and  (d) Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07;
	(4)  how many emergency in-patients were treated at  (a) Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup,  (b) Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust,  (c) Lewisham Hospitals NHS Trust and  (d) Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not available in the requested format as the number of patients treated are not recorded. Information is held on number of finished admission episodes. A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. There is not a distinction between elective in-patients and elective-care patients.
	The number of finished admission episodes at the four requested hospitals are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of day case, elective and emergency finished admission episodes at Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup, Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust, Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust and Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust in 2005-06 and 2006-07 
			Finished admission episodes 
			   NHS trust name  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Day Cases(1) Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust 14,898 15,452 
			  Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust 17,748 18,961 
			  Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust 13,917 16,233 
			  Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust 23,563 24,020 
			 
			 Elective in-patients(2) Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust 3,644 2,813 
			  Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust 5,794 5,815 
			  Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust 4,915 3,907 
			  Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust 4,648 4,369 
			 
			 Emergency in-patients(3) Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust 12,615 10,817 
			  Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust 16,450 17,059 
			  Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust 25,213 23,900 
			  Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust 19,523 19,412 
			  Notes:  Data Quality Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by over 300 national health service trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  FAE A FAE is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  Ungrossed Data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  Day Cases( 1) The patient classification field identifies day cases, ordinary admissions, regular day and regular night attenders, and the special case of mothers and babies using only delivery facilities. For this inquiry, we have only included 'day case admission'.  Elective Admission( 2) These are the elective admission classifications to specify in more detail how the patient was admitted to hospital. Elective: from waiting list Elective: booked Elective: planned.  Emergency Admission( 3) These are the emergency admission classifications to specify in more detail how the patient was admitted to hospital. Emergency: via accident and emergency (A and E) services, including the casualty department of the provider Emergency: via general practitioner Emergency: via Bed Bureau, including the Central Bureau Emergency: via consultant out-patient clinic Emergency: other means, including patients who arrive via the A and E department of another health care provider.

Hospitals: Greater London

Derek Conway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the reference cost for elective in-patients treated at  (a) Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup,  (b) Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust,  (c) Lewisham Hospitals NHS Trust and  (d) Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust was in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07;
	(2)  what the average cost of treating an elective in-patient at  (a) Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup,  (b) Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust,  (c) Lewisham Hospitals NHS Trust and  (d) Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust was in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07;
	(3)  what the average cost of treating an emergency in-patient at  (a) Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup,  (b) Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust,  (c) Lewisham Hospitals NHS Trust and  (d) Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust was in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07;
	(4)  what the reference cost for day-cases treated at  (a) Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup,  (b) Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust,  (c) Lewisham Hospitals NHS Trust and  (d) Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust was in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07;
	(5)  what the average cost of treating a day case at  (a) Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup,  (b) Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust,  (c) Lewisham Hospitals NHS Trust and  (d) Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust was in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07;
	(6)  what the reference cost for elective-care treatment was at  (a) Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup,  (b) Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust,  (c) Lewisham Hospitals NHS Trust and  (d) Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07;
	(7)  what the average cost of treating an elective-care patient at  (a) Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup,  (b) Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust,  (c) Lewisham Hospitals NHS Trust and  (d) Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust was in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07;
	(8)  what the reference cost was for follow-up out-patients treated at  (a) Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup,  (b) Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust,  (c) Lewisham Hospitals NHS Trust and  (d) Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07;
	(9)  what the average cost of treating a follow-up patient was at  (a) Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup,  (b) Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust,  (c) Lewisham Hospitals NHS Trust and  (d) Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07;
	(10)  what the reference cost for out-patients treated at  (a) Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup,  (b) Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust,  (c) Lewisham Hospitals NHS Trust and  (d) Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust was in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07;
	(11)  what the average cost of treating an out-patient at  (a) Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup,  (b) Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust,  (c) Lewisham Hospitals NHS Trust and  (d) Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust was in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07;
	(12)  what the reference cost was for emergency inpatients treated at  (a) Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup,  (b) Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust,  (c) Lewisham Hospitals NHS Trust and  (d) Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not available in the format requested.
	Reference Costs are collected at Healthcare Resource Group (HRG) level. These are groupings of hospital procedures with similar resource use. Therefore for each type of admitted patient there are over six hundred separate costs collected in Reference Costs and similar groups are collected for outpatients. Therefore no single Reference Cost can be provided for each of the questions asked. The individual Reference Costs are used to generate the average costs.
	Average costs of emergency in-patients are not specifically collected. They are included in the non-elective in-patient category, which has a slightly wider definition. The average cost of a non-elective in-patient has therefore been provided.
	The hon. Member has requested the average cost of an elective care patient and the average cost of an elective in-patient. This is the same information and is covered in the table under average cost of an elective in-patient.
	Average costs for 2006-07 have not yet been published. The latest available average costs are for 2005-06.
	Such information as is available is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Average costs of day-case patients, elective and non-elective in-patients and out-patient and follow-up out-patient appointments at Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup, Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust, and Lewisham Hospitals NHS Trust and Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust in 2005-06 
			   Average cost of a day-case 2005-06( 6)  Average cost of an elective in-patient 2005-06( 1,2,6)  Average cost of a non-elective in-patient 2005-06( 1,3,6)  Average cost of an out-patient appointment 2005-06( 4,6)  Average cost of a follow-up out-patient appointment 2005-06( 5,6) 
			 Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup 860.00 3,000.00 1,150.00 80.00 60.00 
			 Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust 830.00 2,270.00 1,300.00 140.00 120.00 
			 Lewisham Hospitals NHS Trust 570.00 2,330.00 1,910.00 140.00 120.00 
			 Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust 1,260.00 2,020.00 1,460.00 120.00 90.00 
			 (1) All in-patient figures are exclusive of excess bed days. (2) Average cost of elective in-patient does not include cost of day-cases. (3 )Average costs are not collected for emergency in-patients specifically, only as non-elective in-patients, which is a slightly wider definition. The average cost of a non-elective in-patient has been provided. (4 )The data provided are the average costs of an out-patient attendance (both first and follow-up attendances, as a distinction was not specified) which includes any treatment during that attendance unless it is specifically identified elsewhere (such as radiology) in which case these costs will not have been incorporated into the average. The average costs do not include maternity out-patients as these are collected separately. (5 )The data provided are the average costs of a follow-up out-patient attendance, which includes any treatment during that attendance, unless it is specifically identified elsewhere (such as radiology) in which case these costs will not have been incorporated into the average. The average costs do not include maternity out-patients which are collected separately. (6) All average costs are rounded to the nearest 10.

Hospitals: Greater London

Derek Conway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many follow-up patient appointments there were at was  (a) Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup,  (b) Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust,  (c) Lewisham Hospitals NHS Trust and  (d) Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07;
	(2)  how many out-patients were treated at  (a) Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup,  (b) Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust,  (c) Lewisham Hospitals NHS Trust and  (d) Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is collected on a quarterly basis and is set out in the following tables.
	
		
			  N umber of consultant-led, new and follow-up, outpatient attendances at Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust in 2005-06 and 2006-07 
			   Quarter ended  First attendances seen  Subsequent attendances seen  Total attendances seen 
			 2005-06 June 2005 17,890 36,074 53,964 
			 2005-06 September 2005 18,231 42,369 60,600 
			 2005-06 December 2005 18,956 42,385 61,341 
			 2005-06 March 2006 19,383 37,666 57,049 
			  
			 2006-07 June 2006 19,239 36,156 55,395 
			 2006-07 September 2006 19,794 36,441 56,235 
			 2006-07 December 2006 19,734 36,132 55,866 
			 2006-07 March 2007 20,722 36,701 57,423 
			  Source: Department of Health form QM08s/QMOP 
		
	
	
		
			  N umber of consultant-led, new and follow-up, outpatient attendances at Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust in 2005-06 and 2006-07 
			   Quarter ended  First attendances seen  Subsequent attendances seen  Total attendances seen 
			 2005-06 June 2005 11,833 26,022 37,855 
			 2005-06 September 2005 11,291 26,243 37,534 
			 2005-06 December 2005 11,343 25,769 37,112 
			 2005-06 March 2006 11,296 26,831 38,127 
			  
			 2006-07 June 2006 11,142 25,870 37,012 
			 2006-07 September 2006 10,636 24,531 35,167 
			 2006-07 December 2006 10,873 24,120 34,993 
			 2006-07 March 2007 11,012 25,062 36,074 
			  Source: Department of Health form QM08s/QMOP 
		
	
	
		
			  N umber of consultant-led, new and follow-up, outpatient attendances at Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust in 2005-06 and 2006-07 
			   Quarter ended  First attendances seen  Subsequent attendances seen  Total attendances seen 
			 2005-06 June 2005 9,148 21,314 30,462 
			 2005-06 September 2005 14,496 21,732 36,228 
			 2005-06 December 2005 14,045 22,793 36,838 
			 2005-06 March 2006 13,611 23,919 37,530 
			  
			 2006-07 June 2006 14,677 25,466 40,143 
			 2006-07 September 2006 14,291 25,517 39,808 
			 2006-07 December 2006 14,910 26,705 41,615 
			 2006-07 March 2007 15,746 22,112 37,858 
			  Source: Department of Health form QM08s/QMOP 
		
	
	
		
			  N umber of consultant-led, new and follow-up, outpatient attendances at Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust in 2005-06 and 2006-07 
			   Quarter ended  First attendances seen  Subsequent attendances seen  Total attendances seen 
			 2005-06 June 2005 9,578 28,966 38,544 
			 2005-06 September 2005 10,578 30,228 40,806 
			 2005-06 December 2005 9,457 24,667 34,124 
			 2005-06 March 2006 10,578 30,527 41,105 
			  
			 2006-07 June 2006 10,741 33,226 43,967 
			 2006-07 September 2006 11,680 29,796 41,476 
			 2006-07 December 2006 12,810 28,403 41,213 
			 2006-07 March 2007 14,673 29,626 44,299 
			  Source: Department of Health form QM08$/QMOP

Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust: Clostridium Difficile

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of clostridium difficile were reported in the Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust area in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The mandatory surveillance system operated for the Department by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) provides data on the number of reports of  Clostridium difficile ( C. difficile) infection. All acute national health service trusts in England are obliged to report all cases of  C. difficile infection processed by their laboratories and the data are published at trust level.
	Mandatory surveillance of  C. difficile was introduced in 2004 for patients aged 65 and over and has been extended to all patients aged two and over from April 2007.
	The HPA publishes these data on their website so this information and any further information on the number of  C. difficile infections for NHS acute trusts is available at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/hai/Mandatory _Results.htm
	The mandatory surveillance data on  C. difficile and methicillin-resistant  Staphylococcus aureus has been placed in the Library. These will be updated each quarter.

Human Papilloma Virus: Vaccination

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many human papilloma virus vaccines have been administered since the scheme was first introduced.

Dawn Primarolo: Latest data from electronic prescribing analysis and costs indicate that 2,974 doses of human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccines had been prescribed up to November 2007.
	The routine HPV immunisation programme starts in September 2008.

Local Involvement Networks

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he plans to take to support the involvement of patients and the public in monitoring the effectiveness of services provided for the NHS by  (a) the third sector and  (b) the private sector; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will make it his policy to ensure that the Local Involvement Network Regulations 2008 require private sector providers of health and social care to allow members of local involvement networks reasonable access to their premises for the purpose of viewing and monitoring the quality of health and social care.

Ann Keen: The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, set out important new arrangements for the involvement of patients and the public in health and social care, including Local Involvement Networks (LINks). LINks will enable local people to monitor local services irrespective of who provides them.
	LINks will build on the work of voluntary and community sector groups; and, enable genuine involvement of a far greater number of people than is currently available, ensuring local communities have a stronger voice in the process of commissioning health and social care and enabling them to influence key decisions about the services they both use and pay for.
	In order to ensure that independent sector providersbe they from the private or third-sectorcooperate with LINks, we will make Directions requiring primary care trusts and local authorities to ensure that their contracts with the independent and third sectors allow LINks entry to appropriate premises and access to appropriate information. This will ensure that LINks will have the same levels of access as they do in the public sector.
	These changes are aimed at promoting open and transparent communication between communities and the health service, and will develop trust and confidence, increasing accountability to local people.

Local Involvement Networks

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to promote  (a) the involvement of and  (b) consultation with patients and the public who receive NHS services through (i) third sector and (ii) independent sector organisations.

Ann Keen: Under section 242 of the NHS Act 2006, all national health service organisations are required to involve service users in the planning, development and operation of health services. This duty does not apply directly to third sector and independent sector organisations.
	NHS organisations which commission services from the third and independent sector must specify in their contractual arrangements that service users shall be systematically involved in the planning, development and operation of services and that such involvement shall be evidenced and reported as part of contract performance.
	The involvement of users in services provided by third sector and independent sector organisations shall be developed and promoted in the forthcoming statutory guidance for section 242 to be published in summer 2008.

Macular Degeneration

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were certified as blind due to macular degeneration in  (a) Hampshire and  (b) England in each of the last five years, broken down by age bands.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

Malnutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many adverse events relating to malnutrition have been reported in the NHS between  (a) October 2005 and September 2006 and  (b) October 2006 and September 2007.

Ann Keen: Information Centres do not hold any information relating to malnutrition. The closest thing they could provide is the prevalence of those who are underweight, but these are not available for the dates specified, the latest data would be for 2005 and we have reservations about using data on the numbers of people who are underweight as an indicator of malnutrition.
	Hospital episodes statistics team are not able to provide anything either, particularly as it is not clear what is meant by an 'adverse event' and are not sure whether malnutrition would be picked up as a primary or secondary diagnosis anyway.

Mass Media

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's national media evaluation reports for December 2006 to December 2007; and if he will publish the reports on his Department's website.

Ben Bradshaw: No national media evaluation reports have been produced for the Department since November 2006.
	All reports prior to that date have been published and can be found on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Freedomofinformationpublicationschemefeedback/Classesofinformation/Communicationsresearch/DH_4130120

Mental Health Services: Community Care

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support will be made available to those people who no longer meet the criteria for the services provided under the care programme approach following changes to that programme.

Ivan Lewis: The report of the review of the Care Programme Approach (CPA) has not yet been published. The criteria for eligibility for mental health services is not set by CPA guidance, so these will not be affected by any changes to CPA guidance.

Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2007,  Official Report, column 724W, on Mid Yorkshire hospitals NHS Trust: finance, if he will place a copy of the PricewaterhouseCoopers report in the Library.

Ann Keen: The PricewaterhouseCoopers report into the financial position of Mid Yorkshire hospitals NHS trust was commissioned in order to inform Ministers and officials as to the possible solutions for the repayment of the historic debt in the trust.
	This report is still being used to inform Ministers and officials as part of this financially challenged trust review process and as such, we feel the release of the report may prejudice their ability to rely on free and frank advice that is contained within.
	In addition the report contains a detailed breakdown of the trusts financial position including valuations on the organisations assets and liabilities, which if made public may harm the organisation in future negotiations with commercial partners.

Music: Industrial Health and Safety

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will commission research into the risks to hearing of the amplification level of recorded music broadcast in the workplace; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: I have been asked to reply.
	The Health and Safety Executive is responsible for research on occupational health risks to hearing from noise in the workplace. It has no plans to commission research into the risks to hearing arising from the amplification level of recorded music broadcast in the workplace. Risks to hearing from exposure to high levels of sound are well understood, and are not generally considered to be dependent on the source or type of sound.

Neurology

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many practising neurosurgeons there are in England.

Ann Keen: The latest published annual national health service workforce census showed there were 187 consultants working in neurosurgery in England in 2006. In addition there were eight associate specialist and staff grades in neurosurgery. There were also 358 doctors in training or equivalent grades working in neurosurgery in England.

Maternity Services

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the health (i) services and (ii) procedures provided for infants from birth to first birthday in different primary care trust areas.

Ann Keen: The joint Department of Health and Department for Children, Schools and Families Family Nurse Partnership intervention supports vulnerable first time young mothers from the 16th week of pregnancy until the child is aged two years. It is being piloted across in England at 10 sites. An evaluation of the first year of the pilots is being undertaken by the University of London, Birkbeck and is scheduled to be published in April 2008.

Maternity Services

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many babies were born in NHS hospitals in England in each month since January 1997, broken down by  (a) stage of gestation at birth and  (b) birth weight.

Ann Keen: Information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows the latest information on live births by birth weight and gestational age at birth.
	
		
			  Live births by birth weight and gestational age at birth, England and Wales, 2005 
			Birth weight (grams) 
			  Gestational age (weeks)  All  Under 1,000  1,000 to 1,499  1,500 to 2,499  2,500 and over  Not stated 
			  Number of live births   
			 All 645,887 3,217 4,832 40,739 594,930 2,169 
			
			 Under 24 647 605 5 2 15 20 
			 24 to 27 2,431 1,795 507 24 71 34 
			 28 to 31 5,825 648 2,943 1,952 239 43 
			 32 to 36 39,538 61 1,211 20,536 17,594 136 
			 37 and over 592,158 73 112 17,872 572,373 1,728 
			
			  All with known gestational age 640,599 3,182 4,778 40,386 590,292 1,961 
			
			 Low gestational age inconsistent with birth weight 100 0 8 15 65 12 
			 Gestational age not stated 4,315 26 44 311 3,925 9 
			 Not linked to NN4B record 873 99 22 627 648 187 
			
			  Percentage of live births with known gestational age 
			 Under 24 0.1 19.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 1.0 
			 24 to 27 0.4 56.4 10.6 0.1 0.0 1.7 
			 28 to 31 0.9 20.4 61.6 4.8 0.0 2.2 
			 32 to 36 6.2 1.9 25.3 50.8 3.0 6.9 
			 Under 37 7.6 97.7 97.7 55.7 3.0 11.9 
			
			  Percentage of all live births  
			 Gestational age not stated 0.7 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.4 
			 Not linked to NN4B record 0.1 0.3 0.0 0.1 0.1 8.6 
			  Source: Office for National Statistics

NHS: Drugs

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the value of unused prescription drugs prescribed throughout the national health economy in the last year for which figures are available;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the value of wasted and returned prescription drugs in the national health economy in the last year for which figures are available;
	(3)  what steps he plans to take to reduce the cost of unused, returned or wasted prescription drugs to the national health economy;
	(4)  what estimate his Department has made of the value of unused, wasted or returned prescription drugs in the Cumbrian health economy in the most recent period for which figures are available; what assessment he has made of how these costs may be reduced; what assessment he has made of alternative uses for returned medication; and what guidance is given to medical practitioners on these matters.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department does not have an estimate of the current annual value of unused prescription drugs or wasted and returned prescription drugs. We are in the process of commissioning research to establish the scale, costs and causes of waste medicines in England. The research will provide the basis for further action to reduce the cost of wasted medicines.
	We support a range of initiatives including repeat dispensing and medicines use reviews, through the contractual framework for community pharmacy, where pharmacists help patients get the most from their medicines, while at the same time minimising the wastage of medicines by optimising their use.
	More than 1,200 prescribing advisors are employed at various levels in the national health service work with general practitioners to encourage and secure rational and cost-effective prescribing. We are concerned about wastage from unused medicines. However, it is not appropriate to promote the reuse of medicines returned from patients. Recycling medicines returned by patients is both unethical and unsafe.
	A number of primary care trusts (PCTs) in the north-west have participated in a regional medicines waste campaign. However, Cumbria PCT is developing its own campaign on waste, working with local stakeholders and media.

NHS: Drugs

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to procure cheaper medicines for prescription throughout the national health economy.

Dawn Primarolo: The prices of national health service branded prescription medicines and the profits that companies can make on these sales are controlled by the 2005 Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) which is a voluntary agreement, negotiated with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. On 1 January 2005 the prices of medicines covered by the PPRS were reduced by 7 per cent. with the aim of effecting a corresponding reduction in the NHS expenditure on branded medicines while securing the provision of safe and effective medicines for the NHS at reasonable prices. The PPRS is currently being renegotiated with the pharmaceutical industry.
	The major control over the expenditure on NHS generic medicines is effected by the Category M system which adjusts reimbursement prices in line with market prices each quarter and taking into account of the findings of the medicines margins survey, which monitors the amount of margin pharmacies earn on the medicines they dispense. These arrangements were agreed as part of the community pharmacy contractual framework and have the objectives of ensuring that safe and effective generic medicines are available to patients while securing value for money for the NHS.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support his Department is offering to the NHS for the implementation of patient-level information and costing systems.

Ben Bradshaw: Linking patient-level information to costing presents an important opportunity to make a step change in the quality of cost data. Patient level costing and information systems are therefore being adopted by some national health service organisations with the support and encouragement of the Department.
	This support has included engaging suppliers of costing systems to ensure the NHS is clear about what is required of their solutions.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of primary care trust revenue allocations were covered by payment by results in each financial year since the system was initiated; what proportion of primary care trust revenue allocations he expects to be covered by payment by results in each year until 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The percentage of primary care trust (PCT) revenue allocations covered by payment by results (PbR) from 2005-06 to 2008-09 is set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Percentage of PCT revenue allocation covered by PbR 
			 2005-06 outturn (1)16 
			 2006-07 outturn (2)36 
			 2007-08 forecast (3)34 
			 2008-09 forecast (3)33 
			 (1) Based on 2005-06 outturn activity (2) Based on 2006-07 outturn activity (3) Based on forecast activity growth in 2007-08 and 2008-09 
		
	
	It is not possible to estimate figures for 2009-10 and 2010-11 until revenue allocations and the national tariff has been finalised for these years,

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which specific concerns about the performance of the secondary uses service were raised by respondents to his Department's consultation on the Options for the Future of Payment by Results, as stated on pages 18-19 of the Summary of Responses to the consultation, published on 24 January 2008.

Ben Bradshaw: A large number of responses were received that made reference to the secondary uses service (SUS). Specific concerns are summarised as follows:
	levels of support and training;
	the observation that SUS is not yet fully operational;
	perceived problems from 2005-06, relating to lead in times, support, and guidance;
	the flexibility of SUS to allow local arrangements to be taken into account;
	the length of time allowed for 2007-08 SUS data to be submitted;
	the clarity of rules on SUS that apply to all providers; and
	SUS's ability to enable frequent uploads.
	However, many of the comments relating to the SUS were non-specific, acknowledging that increasing the timeliness of data flows is contingent on SUS supporting the more pressing deadlines.

NHS: Manpower

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the staffing costs for  (a) doctors,  (b) nursing staff and  (c) all NHS staff were in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: Staffing costs in the most recent year for which figures are available (2006-07) were:
	6,330,231,000 for doctors;
	11,114,727,000 for nurses, midwives and health visitors; and
	29,908,033,000 for all national health service staff.
	These staffing cost figures do not include NHS foundation trusts as the Department does not hold such information. NHS foundation trusts staffing costs may be obtained by writing to the chairmen of those trusts.

North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust: Finance

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding has been allocated to North Cheshire Hospital NHS Trust in each year since its inception; and for what purposes the funding has been allocated.

Ann Keen: Revenue allocations are made directly to primary care trusts (PCTs), not national health service trusts or individual hospitals. NHS trusts receive most of their income through the commissioning arrangements they have with PCTs.

North West Brussels Office: Health

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by the North West Health Brussels Office in the last year for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 8 January 2008,  Official Report, column 485W.

Obesity

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1698W, on obesity, how many staff worked in his Department's obesity, nutrition and physical activity teams in each of the last five financial years for which figures are available, broken down by payband.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is shown in the following table. Figures are available for the last two years from February 2006 to February 2008.
	
		
			  Grade/Payband  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Executive Officer/Personal Assistants 10 11 
			 Higher Executive Officer 5 6 
			 Senior Executive Officer 10 11 
			 Principal 11 12 
			 Senior Civil Service 6 5 
			 Total 42 45

Obesity

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the number of people referred to weight management clinics who did not attend such clinics in each of the past five financial years for which figures are available; and what percentage of the number of people referred this represented in each year.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not held centrally.

Palliative Care: Expenditure

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what Government expenditure on palliative care was in each year since 2004-05; and what it is forecast to be in each year to 2010-11.

Ivan Lewis: We do not collect information centrally on expenditure on palliative/end of life care and there are no central revenue allocations specifically for end of life care. Primary care trusts (PCTs) remain responsible within the national health service for commissioning and funding services for their resident population, including end of life care. It is for PCTs to determine how to use the funding allocated to them to commission services to meet the healthcare needs of their local populations.

Post-Mortems: Children

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children's bodies had to be moved  (a) to the adjoining coroner's district and  (b) further afield for post mortem examinations by paediatric pathologists in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The statistical information is neither held centrally nor by individual coroners. However, we are aware that there are shortages of paediatric pathologists in some areas of the country, and coroners may have to move bodies beyond their adjoining districts to access the appropriate scientific expertise. The draft Coroners Bill, published in June 2006, sets out the Government's plans for reform of the system. It removes the current restrictions regarding the movement of bodies, giving coroners the power to order that a body be moved to any suitable place for a post-mortem examination. The Bill will be introduced as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when public consultation on prescription charges in England will commence; when its findings will be published; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government will be inviting views shortly on possible options for changes to prescription charges that are cost neutral to the national health service. A summary of the responses to the consultation will be published in due course.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many prescriptions incurred a prescription charge in each of the last three financial years; and how many are projected to incur a prescription charge in each of the next three financial years;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of people who  (a) paid for their prescriptions in each of the last three financial years and  (b) will pay for their prescriptions in each of the next three financial years.

Dawn Primarolo: There are no data available on the numbers of people who pay the prescription charge. The total number of chargeable prescription items dispensed in the community, in England, for the last three financial years is provided in the following table. This is taken from prescription exemption category estimates. Projections for the next three financial years are not available.
	
		
			  000 
			   Number of chargeable prescription items  Number of prescription items paid by pre payment prescriptions  Total number of chargeable prescription items 
			 2004-05 57,436 32,346 89,782 
			 2005-06 56,568 33,558 90,126 
			 2006-07 56,080 34,617 90,697 
			  Source: Prescription Cost Analysis system.

Primary Care: Standards

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect on clinical outcomes in primary care of the new GP contract in the last three years.

Ben Bradshaw: Practices have responded positively, to the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), with almost universal participation covering 99.8 per cent. of registered patients in England. There is evidence from independent research that shows achieving the quality targets in the QOF can achieve significant health gains. There is also emerging evidence that care is now improving more rapidly for asthma and diabetes than before the QOF was introduced. For coronary heart disease, where there have already been major improvements in quality for a number of years, the improvement has continued at the same rate.
	As part of a review of the new general practitioner contractual arrangements the Department has commissioned a long-term research project to assess the impact of the QOF by improving the quality of care to patients.

Sexual Dysfunction: Drugs

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions were issued for anti-impotence preparations in each of the last three years, broken down by preparation.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Drugs for erectile dysfunction (British National Formulary (BNF) 7.4.5) 
			   Prescription items (Thousand) 
			  Preparation  2004  2005  2006 
			 Androskat injection 30mg/1ml 2ml ampoule 0.001 0.001 0 
			 Caverject injection Dual Chamber 10mcg pre-filled syringe cartridge 2.272 2.761 3.284 
			 Caverject injection Dual Chamber 20mcg pre-filled syringe cartridge 6.868 7.708 8.95 
			 Caverject injection pack (10mcg vial + diluent) 9.548 8.705 8.087 
			 Caverject injection pack (20mcg vial + diluent) 21.031 18.619 17.946 
			 Caverject injection pack (40mcg vial + diluent) 7.72 7.939 8.854 
			 Caverject injection pack (5mcg vial + diluent) 1.791 1.704 1.571 
			 Cialis tablet 10mg 98.514 123.635 135.846 
			 Cialis tablet 20mg 167.784 246.8 302.262 
			 Invicorp-1 injection solution auto-injector 0.068 0.06 0.068 
			 Invicorp-2 injection solution 1ml ampoule 0.054 0.055 0.078 
			 Invicorp-2 injection solution auto-injector 0.008 0.002 0.005 
			 Levitra tablet 10mg 32.015 44.763 49.7 
			 Levitra tablet 20mg 38.049 62.296 80.283 
			 Levitra tablet 5mg 3.944 5.555 6.072 
			 Muse Transurethral System Stick 125mcg 0.497 0.507 0.154 
			 Muse Transurethral System Stick 1mg 12.645 12.764 13.224 
			 Muse Transurethral System Stick 250mcg 3.131 3.057 3.021 
			 Muse Transurethral System Stick 500mcg 6.959 6.32 6.329 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride/Phentolamine injection 30/1mg 1ml ampoule 0.01 0.002 0.001 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride/Phentolamine injection 30mg/1mg vial 0.001 0 0 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride/Phentolamine injection 40mg/1mg syringe 0.001 0 0 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 100mg/2ml ampoule 0.001 0 0 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 10mg/1ml ampoule 0.006 0.004 0.002 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 120mg/2ml ampoule 0 0.001 0.002 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 15mg/1ml ampoule 0.001 0.004 0.003 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 160mg/2ml ampoule 0.001 0 0 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 200mg/5ml ampoule 0 0.003 0.001 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 20mg/10ml ampoule 0 0.001  
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 20mg/1ml ampoule 0.071 0.051 0.028 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 20mg/1ml vial 0.001 0.005 0.002 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 20mg/2ml ampoule 0.003 0.001 0 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 20mg/5ml ampoule 0.002 0 0 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 25mg/1ml ampoule 0.039 0.021 0.032 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 30mg/0.5ml ampoule 0.001 0 0 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 30mg/1ml ampoule 0.08 0.039 0.031 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 30mg/1ml pre-filled syringe 0.001 0 0 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 30mg/1ml vial 0.001 0 0 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 30mg/2ml ampoule 0.112 0.091 0.076 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 30mg/2ml pre-filled syringe 0.003 0.001 0.002 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 30mg/2ml vial 0 0.001 0 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 30mg/3ml ampoule 0 0 0.001 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 40mg/0.5ml ampoule 0.002 0 0 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 40mg/10ml ampoule 0 0.001 0 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 40mg/1ml ampoule 0.335 0.23 0.155 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 40mg/1ml pre-filled syringe 0.024 0.017 0.006 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 40mg/1ml vial 0.01 0.016 0.008 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 40mg/2ml ampoule 0.003 0.002 0.002 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 50mg/1ml ampoule 0 0.001 0 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 60mg/1ml ampoule 0.106 0.11 0.071 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 60mg/1ml pre-filled syringe 0.001 0.002 0.005 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 60mg/2ml ampoule 0.098 0.069 0.047 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 60mg/2ml pre-filled syringe 0.001 0 0 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 60mg/2ml vial 0.001 0 0.002 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 60mg/5ml ampoule 0 0 0.001 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 80mg/1ml ampoule 0 0.001 0.001 
			 Papaverine Hydrochloride injection 80mg/2ml ampoule 0.02 0.017 0.01 
			 Papaverine sulphate injection 30mg/1ml ampoule 0.001 0 0.001 
			 Papaverine sulphate injection 30mg/2ml ampoule 0 0 0.001 
			 Papaverine sulphate injection 40mg/1ml ampoule 0.014 0.012 0.004 
			 Papaverine sulphate injection 40mg/2ml ampoule 0.001 0 0 
			 Papaverine sulphate injection 60mg/2ml ampoule 0.001 0 0.001 
			 Papaverine sulphate injection 80mg/2ml ampoule 0 0.001 0 
			 Prowess Plain tablet 5mg 0.127 0.1 0.085 
			 Revatio tablet 20mg 0 0 0.235 
			 Uprima tablet sublingual 2mg 9.266 7.061 3.024 
			 Uprima tablet sublingual 3mg 12.365 9.564 4.102 
			 Viagra tablet 100mg 564.178 567.838 592.726 
			 Viagra tablet 25mg 54.905 51.995 51.647 
			 Viagra tablet 50mg 405.222 395.145 398.058 
			 Viridal 10 Duo continuation pack injection 10mcg cartridge 1.045 0.988 0.943 
			 Viridal 10 injection pack (10mcg + diluent) 0 0.009 0.014 
			 Viridal 20 Duo continuation pack injection 20mcg cartridge 1.799 1.597 1.456 
			 Viridal 20 injection pack (20mcg + diluent) 0 0.016 0.001 
			 Viridal 40 Duo continuation pack injection 40mcg cartridge 1.767 1.939 1.962 
			 Viridal 5 injection pack (5mcg + diluent) 0 0.001  
			 Yocon tablet 5.4mg 0.01 0.006 0.002 
			 Yohimbine Hydrochloride capsule 10mg 0.001 0 0 
			 Yohimbine Hydrochloride capsule 2.5mg 0.004 0 0 
			 Yohimbine Hydrochloride capsule 5.4mg 0.005 0.014 0.008 
			 Yohimbine Hydrochloride capsule 5mg 0.01 0.007 0.008 
			 Yohimbine Hydrochloride tablet 2mg 0.001 0 0 
			 Yohimbine Hydrochloride tablet 5.4mg 0.008 0 0 
			 Yohimbine Hydrochloride tablet 5mg 0.194 0.131 0.093 
			 Yohimbine Hydrochloride tablet 6mg 0.001 0 0 
			 Total 1464.8 1590.4 1700.6 
			  Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) Data Prescription information is taken from the PCA system, supplied by the Prescription Pricing Division of the Business Services Authority, and is based on a full analysis of all prescriptions dispensed in the community i.e. by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered in England. Also included are prescriptions written in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man but dispensed in England. The data do not cover drugs dispensed in hospitals, including mental health trusts, or private prescriptions.  Prescription Items Prescriptions are written on a prescription form. Each single item written on the form is counted as a prescription item.  Note: Some of these drugs may have been prescribed for other conditions but it is not possible to determine how large a proportion. Similarly, drugs from other parts of the BNF or drugs not licensed for this condition, may have been prescribed. Again, it is not possible to determine the proportion of the use of these drugs.

Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Hospitals Trust: Infectious Diseases

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of  (a) MRSA and  (b) extended-spectrum beta-lactamases and  (c) vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus were reported at the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Hospitals Trust in 2007.

Ann Keen: The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust had 20 methicillin-resistant  Staphylococcus aureus blood stream infection reports between January and June 2007.
	The information requested for extended-spectrum beta-lactamases is not available centrally and no cases of vancomycin-resistant  Staphylococcus aureus have been reported in the United Kingdom to date.

Smoking: Young People

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his strategy is for reducing the number of young people who smoke.

Dawn Primarolo: Reducing smoking among young people is a top priority for the Government.
	In October 2007, the Government raised the age of sale of tobacco products from 16 to 18 years. The age increase was an effective way of communicating the serious health risks associated with tobacco and a step towards de-normalising smoking among young people.
	Legislation is currently before Parliament to increase sanctions available against retailers who are found to repeatedly sell tobacco to people under the age of 18. The provisions will help enforce restrictions on the age of sale and further prevent access to tobacco by young people.
	The 'Cancer Reform Strategy', published in December 2007, announced that the Department will consult on the 'next steps' in tobacco control, including options for further regulation of tobacco products. This consultation will take place in spring this year and will seek views from stakeholders on what further can be done to tackle smoking among young people.
	The Department is continuing to communicate the serious health risks associated with smoking to young people. Hard hitting picture warnings highlighting the health consequences of smoking are required to be displayed on all tobacco products produced after 1 October 2008.
	On 1 July 2007, all enclosed parts of work and public places in England became smokefree. This measure will provide health benefits to the whole population, for future generations.
	A comprehensive advertising ban on tobacco products has been in place since February 2003. The ban was extended in 2006 to include major restrictions on point of sale advertising and a ban on tobacco advertising on the internet from sites that originate in the United Kingdom or European Union. The advertising restrictions virtually eliminate young people's exposure to tobacco marketing.
	Local stop smoking services are able to provide a range of support options to anyone wanting to quit smoking, including young people. Resources are also available that can be accessed by .smokers direct on smoking cessation, these include the NHS 'gosmokefree' website and from the general NHS Smoking Helpline (0800 169 0 169).

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which journalists were embedded in those UK units which provided support to Afghan forces during the recent Musa Qaleh campaign; and what media organisations they were from.

Bob Ainsworth: The two journalists were Rupert Hamer of the  Sunday Mirror and Stephen Grey, reporting for the  Sunday Times.

Armed Forces: Absence Without Leave

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel went absent without leave in each of the last 10 years, broken down by service.

Derek Twigg: The following table shows absence without leave statistics by calendar year for each service since 1998.
	
		
			   RN  Army  RAF 
			 1998 30 1,850 15 
			 1999 35 2,055 15 
			 2000 55 2,710 25 
			 2001 90 2,645 25 
			 2002 110 2,950 25 
			 2003 120 2,820 35 
			 2004 185 3,025 55 
			 2005 195 2,715 35 
			 2006 155 2,330 10 
			 2007 115 2,255 25 
			  Notes: 1. Both the Navy and the Army record AWOL statistics by the number of incidences of AWOL rather than the number of people who have gone AWOL, so there may be a number of people who are represented more than once in these figures. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 and are as at 4 February 2008.

Armed Forces: Manpower

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) manning levels and  (b) average tour intervals are for each manning pinch point in (i) the Army, (ii) the Navy and (iii) RAF.

Bob Ainsworth: Details of the manning levels for pinch point trades are provided in the following table. The figures are those reported for financial year 2007-08 Quarter 3 returns.
	It is not possible to determine tour intervals for manning pinch point trades. Tour intervals apply to units which consist of personnel from a number of trades in the armed forces.
	
		
			  Royal Navy Pinch Points  Manning Leve l (Percentage) 
			 RN Harrier GR7 Instructors 43 
			 Lt GR7 Harrier Pilots 49 
			 Merlin Observers 54 
			 Merlin Pilots 61 
			 Merlin Aircrew 78 
			 Able Bodied Warfare Specialist (Sensors Submariner) 74 
			 Able Bodied Warfare Specialist (Tactical Submariner) 78 
			 Strategic Weapons Systems Junior Ranks 71 
			 Leading Hand Warfare 67 
			 Able Bodied Diver 65 
			 Royal Marines Other Ranks 91 
			 Sea-King and Lynx Avionics Supervisors 82 
			 Petty Officer Mine Warfare 75 
			 Nuclear Watchkeepers 76 
			 Able Bodied Seaman 60 
			   
			  Army Pinch Points  
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Vehicle Mechanic 1 80 
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Recovery Mechanic 80 
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Armourer 88 
			 Royal Engineers Clerk of Works 85 
			 Army Medical Service - General Surgeon 37 
			 Royal Engineers Mechanical Engineer Fitter 80 
			 Royal Logistics Corps Ammunition Technician 56 
			 Royal Logistic Corps - Postal and Courier Operator 84 
			 Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps -Radiographer 57 
			 Royal Engineers Military Engineer Geographic 64 
			 Intelligence Operational Military Intelligence 74 
			 Royal Engineers Explosive Ordnance Disposal 51 
			 Royal SIGNALS Information Systems Engineer 98 
			 Royal Engineers Command, Control and Communications Systems 87 
			 Army Medical ServiceGeneral Medical Practitioner 88 
			 Royal Logistics Corps Chef 88 
			 Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps -Operation Department Practitioner 63 
			 Royal Logistics Corps Petroleum Operator 58 
			 AG Corps Staff and Personnel Service (Mil Admin) 86 
			 Royal Artillery - Operator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle 52 
			 Army Medical Service - Nurse Officer 73 
			 Army Medical Service  A and E Nurse Officer 70 
			 Army Medical Service - Anaesthetist 38 
			 Army Medical Service - Radiologist 20 
			 Army Medical Service - Orthopaedic Surgeon 39 
			 Army Medical Service - Intensive Therapy Unit Nurse Officer 77 
			   
			  RAF Pinch Points  
			 Medical 71 
			 Operational Support (Intelligence) 97 
			 Operational Support (RAF Regiment) 83 
			 Operational Support (Provost/Security) 92 
			 Operational Support (Flight Ops) 92 
			 Princess Mary's RAF Nursing Service 82 
			 Weapons Support (Air Load Master) 89 
			 Weapons Support (Linguist) 81 
			 Air Traffic Control/ Flight Operations Manager/Flight Operations AssistantSergeant 90 
			 Firefighter 88 
			 Gunner 84 
			 Movements Operations/Controller 99 
			 RAF Police 92 
			 Staff Nurse (RGN) A and E 86

Armed Forces: Manpower

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) required and  (b) actual complement is of each regiment in the (i) Household Cavalry, (ii) Royal Armoured Corps and (iii) Royal Logistics Corps.

Derek Twigg: For the purposes of answering this question, required complement is recorded as liability and actual complement is listed as held strength. All data refer to regular army officer and soldier strength as at 24 January 2008 other than where annotated, and reflects all personnel, regardless of cap badge who are part of a regiment. It should be noted that held strength may change on a daily basis for a number of reasons including personnel being posted in or out of a regiment.
	The following table shows the liability and held strength for each regiment of the Royal Armoured Corps including the Household Cavalry:
	
		
			  Unit  Liability  Held strength 
			 Household Cavalry Regiment 522 491 
			 Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment 325 291 
			 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards 407 353 
			 The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards 587 483 
			 The Royal Dragoon Guards 569 506 
			 The Queen's Royal Hussars 587 547 
			 9th/12th Royal Lancers 407 404 
			 The King's Royal Hussars 569 521 
			 The Light Dragoons 522 385 
			 The Queen's Royal Lancers 522 457 
			 2nd Royal Tank Regiment 569 558 
		
	
	The liability and held strength of each regiment of the Royal Logistic Corps is:
	
		
			  Unit  Liability  Held strength 
			 1 Log Sp Regt 599 (1)509 
			 2 Log Sp Regt 619 514 
			 3 Log Sp Regt 599 576 
			 4 Log Sp Regt 600 547 
			 5Trg Regt 86 84 
			 6 Sup Regt 659 624 
			 7 Tpt Regt 583 574 
			 8 Tpt Regt 548 497 
			 9 Sup Regt 819 774 
			 10 Regt (QOGLR) 466 464 
			 11 EOD Regt 576 576 
			 12 Log Sp Regt 602 534 
			 13 Air Asslt Regt 763 737 
			 17 Port and Maritime Regt 598 597 
			 23 Pnr Regt 665 646 
			 24 PC and Mov Regt 383 383 
			 25 Trg Sp Regt 131 121 
			 27 Tpt Regt 615 (2)631 
			 29 PC and Mov Regt 447 (3)433 
			 (1)10 January 2008 (2)31 December 2007 (3)7 January 2008

Armed Forces: Manpower

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the effect on costs of below strength recruitment to  (a) the Army,  (b) the Royal Navy and  (c) the Royal Air Force in each year since 2000.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 6 February 2008
	It would not be possible to quantify the overall financial impact of these factors without incurring disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Public Relations

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of pre-deployment training comprises public relations; and to which levels of command.

Bob Ainsworth: All personnel deploying or on stand-by to deploy on operations receive training that is relevant to their rank and role in theatre. The term public relations in not generally used in a Pre Deployment training context, but topics covered will include: media awareness, language and cultural training, psychological operations, information operations and civil military co-operation.
	The precise content of PDT is left to the deploying operational commanders, based on their reconnaissance visits to theatre and direction from the permanent joint headquarters and HQ LAND. The proportions of the overall training package that is devoted to the above elements will therefore vary.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel in the  (a) Army,  (b) Royal Navy and  (c) Royal Air Force are involved in recruitment; and whether these figures meet the manning requirement.

Derek Twigg: All armed forces personnel, either directly or indirectly, have a recruiting role. Nevertheless, the numbers of Naval Service and Royal Air Force personnel primarily involved in managing or delivering the regular service recruiting process are as follows:
	Naval Service: 339, against an establishment of 356;
	Royal Air Force: 324, against an establishment of 348.
	Details of the numbers of Army personnel primarily involved in recruitment activities are not readily available and I will write to the hon. Member with the details in due course.
	The numbers primarily engaged in recruiting activities is regularly reviewed against requirement with adjustments being made to reflect priorities.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Procurement

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current in-service date is for the Panther vehicle.

Bob Ainsworth: The in-service date (ISD) for Panther, as stated in the main gate business case, was November 2007. Declaration of this ISD having been achieved has currently been withheld until certain support aspects, not required to be in place until the end of March 2008, have been finalised.
	This delay in formal declaration of the Panther in-service date having been achieved has no impact on the delivery of the vehicles to the Army.

Bombs

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research and development has been commissioned into alternatives to dumb and smart cluster munitions for use by HM forces.

Bob Ainsworth: MOD's research and development programme has shifted its focus from dumb munitions to the delivery of precision effects through a variety of weapon concepts. The Department is commissioning a broad programme covering sensor, fuzing and effects technology, as well as modelling performance of components and systems to assess effectiveness against targets, to understand unintended consequences and to reduce collateral damage. This is outlined under the requirements for complex weapons and general munitions in Chapters B7 and B8 of the Defence Technology Strategy published in 2006, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

Bombs

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the failure rate is of not-dumb cluster munitions available to HM forces; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The 155 mm L20A1 Extended Range Bomblet Shell is the only cluster munition that the MOD holds as part of its stock pile. There have been a number of trials of the L20A1, which contains M85 bomblets with a self-destruct mechanism. When the totality of test and acceptance firings is analysed over the life of the munition, the average bomblet failure rate is approximately 2 per cent. As part of its ongoing quality and performance regime, the MOD continues to actively monitor the performance of this system and explore, in partnership with the supplier, the factors which might have a bearing on failure rates.

Bowman Combat Radio System

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1835W, on Bowman Combat Radio System, what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the cost effectiveness of batteries provided by ABSL Power Solutions for Bowman; and whether the National Audit Office has been involved in making an assessment of the cost effectiveness.

Bob Ainsworth: The Department has not commissioned research on, or evaluated the cost effectiveness of batteries provided by ABSL Power Solutions for Bowman. The Bowman contract for the complete system, including power supplies, was awarded to General Dynamics United Kingdom (GDUK) Ltd. on a firm price basis. GDUK subsequently awarded sub contracts to ABSL following their own competitive selection process. The National Audit Office has examined the overall value for money of the Bowman Combat Infrastructure Platform programme (HC 1050 Session 2005-2006/25 July 2006).

Bowman Combat Radio System: Batteries

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1835W, on Bowman Combat radio system: batteries, what information the Bowman power study is expected to add to  (a) the report on portable power sources compiled by the Defence Scientific Advisory Council and  (b) the commissioning of ABSL by the Future Integrated Soldier Technology project team to produce a prototype; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The Bowman power study is in its early stages but all appropriate evidence will be considered in the evaluation of future power options.
	The power requirements for the Future Integrated Soldier Technology project are yet to be fully defined and there has been no commission of a prototype battery.

Chad: Peacekeeping Operations

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution the UK is making to EU military operations in Chad.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 5 February 2008
	 The UK is contributing a total of four military officers to the ESDP mission to Chad/Central African Republic (CAR): two officers in the operational HQ at Mont Valerien in Paris and two officers in the force HQ in Chad/CAR. These staff officers are being provided under standing EU headquarters augmentation procedures.
	On 25 January 2008 the EU's Special Committee ATHENA approved a budget for the common costs of EU military operations in Chad/CAR covering the period to the end of 2008. The UK share of the approved budget is 14 million, of which 5.9 million has already been paid. A further budget for 2009 will be prepared by the Operation Commander after six months of the operation for consideration by the Special Committee; this will comprise mainly the costs of recovering force headquarter elements from theatre. The UK share of ATHENA common costs is attributed to the FCO peacekeeping budget.

Colombia: Drugs

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent support  (a) his Department and  (b) the armed forces have offered to the government of Colombia in combating the smuggling of illegal drugs across the Colombia-Venezuela border.

Bob Ainsworth: Preventing the cross-border flow of illicit drugs from Colombia to neighbouring countries is a top priority for the UK's international counter-narcotics efforts. The UK is investing in projects in Colombia and Venezuela to tackle the cross-border flow of illicit drugs. These projects have helped to build capacity among Colombian and Venezuelan law enforcement agencies and the judiciary. In addition, funding of a United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime project on cross border co-operation has recently been approved.
	We take a broad regional approach to tackling the trade in illicit drugs, through a mixture of political engagement, capacity building and law enforcement support in producer, transit and consumer countries. This includes working with Governments of other producer and transit countries in Latin America and countries along the main trafficking routes for drugs via the Caribbean and West Africa.

Cyprus: Military Bases

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking against illegal bird killing in sovereign base areas in Cyprus.

Bob Ainsworth: In 2004, the Sovereign Base Area Administration (SBAA) enacted the Protection and Management of Game and Wild Birds Ordinance 2004, which includes provisions for strict penalties for poaching and other offences relating to birds. It also provides for the designation and management of Special Protection Areas.
	All fenced military areas, which host some of the best habitat are not only fully protected from poaching but are also game reserves in which no hunting is allowed.
	The SBAA has been co-ordinating joint anti-poaching action with the Republic.
	Hot spots for poaching have been identified and are targeted on a daily basis for police patrols.
	Where poachers/trappers are arrested, the aim is for the case to be heard within seven days. Whenever a shot gun is involved, the judge is urged to consider confiscation and destruction. In addition, the law provides for a penalty of up to 17,000 or three years imprisonment or both if they are found guilty of illegal bird killing.

Departmental Assets

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's forecast asset and stock price reports provided by the Defence Analytical Services Agency to the  (a) fixed asset processing centre and  (b) directorate of defence resources and plans.

Bob Ainsworth: I am withholding the information as its disclosure could prejudice commercial interests.

Departmental Aviation

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent by his Department on commercial international flights in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: Since 1999 the Government have published a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over 500. Information for the last financial year was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the current financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. From next year, the list will include details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the ministerial code.
	Information in respect of flights taken by officials could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) press and  (b) communications officers his Department employed in each of the last 10 years.

Derek Twigg: Accurate information on this is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, I can say that there are currently 191 staff employed by the Ministry of Defence's central Directorate General Media and Communications. Of these, 22 are press officers in its London office and eight in its regional press offices. The others carry out various communications and supporting tasks.

Departmental Marketing

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1589W, on departmental marketing, what the dimensions are of the display boards in his Department's London buildings.

Derek Twigg: There are currently no display boards relating to departmental marketing in the Ministry of Defence London buildings.

Departmental Pay

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library an index of military salaries of his Department's staff, rebased to 2000, for each financial year from 1996-97 to 2006-07.

Derek Twigg: The Defence Analytical Services Agency's publication 'United Kingdom Defence Statistics' for 2007, table 2.26 provides an index of military salaries, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. However, I have arranged for a copy of this, recalculated to a base of 2000-01 to be placed in the Library of the House.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a breakdown of his Department's expenditure by standard industrial classification for financial year 2006-07.

Bob Ainsworth: Estimates of aggregate MOD cash expenditure in UK industry and commerce, broken down by Standard Industrial Classification (SIC), are published by the Defence Analytical Services Agency, in table 1.9a of the annual statistical compendium United Kingdom Defence Statistics, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. The latest available figures are for 2005-06. Figures for 2006-07 will not become available until September 2008.

Departmental Vehicles

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many vehicles were  (a) owned and  (b) purchased by his Department in each of the last 10 years.

Bob Ainsworth: The Ministry of Defence currently leases the majority of the white fleet vehicles it uses. This arrangement has been in place since 2001. Details of white fleet vehicles owned and purchased before this date are no longer held.

Falkland Islands: Land Mines

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of unexploded landmines in the Falkland Islands; what plans he has to remove them; and what the estimated cost is of removing them.

Bob Ainsworth: The field survey report conducted by Cranfield university, as part of the joint UK-Argentine feasibility study completed in October 2007, estimated that approximately 20,000 landmines may remain on the Falkland Islands. The feasibility study and the field survey are being made available in the Library of the House.
	The Government are now considering the options for clearance before deciding on next steps. I am withholding the estimated costs as their release would, or would be likely to, prejudice commercial interests.

Fuels

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the additional costs incurred by his Department due to increases in the cost of fuel in each year from 2005-06 to 2007-08.

Bob Ainsworth: Fuel price changes (predominantly affecting maritime and aviation fuel) are estimated to have added outturn costs of around 80 million over the period 2005-06 to 2007-08 to the departmental fuel bill. The cost of fuel for operations, reflected in this figure, in Iraq and Afghanistan is paid for from the Treasury Reserve.

Future Rapid Effect System

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the timetable is for announcing which utility variant vehicle has been chosen for the Army as part of the future rapid effect system programme.

Bob Ainsworth: As I announced in my written ministerial statement on 29 November 2007,  Official Report, column 40WS, further work with all three possible providers of the future rapid effect system utility vehicle design has been undertaken, and an announcement will be made in due course.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the first full complement of Joint Strike Fighter aircraft to be deployed on an aircraft carrier.

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many joint strike fighters he plans to order in  (a) the first tranche and  (b) total; when he expects the first tranche of joint strike fighters to be available for ordering; on what date his Department first established that no joint strike fighters would be available by the planned in-service date of the first of the future aircraft carriers; how many (i) joint strike fighters and (ii) Harrier GR9s he plans to deploy on each future aircraft carrier; when he expects the order will be placed for each future aircraft carrier; and what the in-service date for each is expected to be.

Bob Ainsworth: We will set the number and in-service date for the Joint Combat Aircraft (JCA) capability when the programme reaches sufficient maturity and we make the main investment decision. We will continue to ensure that the JCA and CVF programmes remain coherent, including carefully managing the transition from Harrier to JCA, as has been the plan since the start of the JCA programme. On the CVF order and in-service dates, I refer the hon. Members to the answer my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence gave on 7 January 2008,  Official Report, column 20W.

Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability Programme

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability programme.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1593W, to the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson).

Military Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of  (a) C-17 Globemaster,  (b) C-130K Hercules,  (c) C-130J Hercules,  (d) Tristar and  (e) VC-10 aircraft are (i) in service with the RAF and (ii) fit for purpose.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 9 October 2007,  Official Report, column 509W, which gave the number of aircraft in service.
	The number and percentage of C130J, C130K, VC10, Tristar and C-17 that are in the Forward Available Fleet and considered Fit for Purpose are detailed in the following table. Forward Available Fleet aircraft are those that are available to the front line command for operational and training purposes; and does not include aircraft undergoing scheduled depth maintenance, part of planned routine fleet maintenance. Aircraft defined as fit for purpose are those considered capable of carrying out their planned missions on a given date. The figures shown are the average for the financial year to 31 December 2007 and have been rounded to the nearest whole number.
	
		
			   Average forward available fleet  Average percentage of total fleet  Average fit for purpose  Average percentage of forward available fleet 
			 C-17 3 86 3' 86 
			 Tristar 7 80 5 72 
			 VC10 13 80 8 63 
			 C130K 13 67 10 80 
			 C130J 18 76 14 79

Military Equipment: Land Mines

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Husky or Chubby vehicle sets the Army has; and where they are stationed.

Bob Ainsworth: The Army does not use Husky or Chubby vehicle sets.

Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency: Manpower

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Ministry of Defence police officers there were in each year since 1997; and how many there are expected to be in each year to 2012.

Derek Twigg: The figures for the number of Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) Officers since 1997 are provided in the following table.
	The forecast for MDP Officers in 2008 is currently approx 3,500. Security at MOD establishments is kept under constant review and future numbers will reflect the needs of the Department.
	
		
			   Number of MDP Officers 
			 1997 3,714 
			 1998 3,625 
			 1999 3,568 
			 2000 3,393 
			 2001 3,257 
			 2002 3,247 
			 2003 3,290 
			 2004 3,322 
			 2005 3,415 
			 2006 3,465 
			 2007 3,447